Bola Otegbayo is the Coordinator of Music in Healthcare Initiative, a project that supports people with mental health challenges in Ibadan, Oyo State. She is also the convener of Dove Healthcare Foundation where she organises awards to honour outstanding healthcare practitioners. In this interview by KANGMWA GOFWEN, she talks about music as a therapy for people with mental health problems.
Why do you think music would be an effective therapy for mental health issues?
Music as a therapy for mental health is not something you guess or a kind of trial and error; it is an evidence based therapy for mental health. Based on my research and that of Music Therapy Intervention, it was established that music is an effective therapy for mental health. And I would say it is what individuals can prove in our day to day activities. We all have good moments with music that resonates with us individually; some of us do this unconsciously. The effect of music on individual mental health cannot be denied.
Your music therapy programme would be the first of its kind in the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, what is the idea behind it? What made you develop it?
Let me take you back to 2015 thereabouts, I am a Biomedical Engineer and I was a member of a cardiac team around that time when a 17-day old baby was wheeled into the theatre for surgical procedure. As I sighted the baby, I had empathy considering the age and all. Remember at this point the parents would not be allowed to enter the theatre so he was left in the hands of the medical personnel which I would call “strangers”. A thought came to me at that moment that the only thing this baby would relate with would be a soothing lullaby. This was the first time I had the idea, so I began to see the need in the hospital as I walked pass the children ward, I felt music could be scheduled for them just the way other therapies are scheduled. I felt our theatre should not be quiet like the grave yard while surgical operations are being performed so I thought to get more knowledge in music. I proceeded to have another degree in Music, after I finished, I discovered B.A Music wasn’t enough. My interactions with other fellows around the world showed that just music isn’t enough so I continued the journey and went back to study Clinical Psychology and I also went ahead to study Music Therapy after long search because the course is not offered in any Nigerian University currently. In a nutshell, that was how the idea was birthed. It has not been an easy task but the passion has kept me going and the journey has been encouraging seeing the positive outcome every now and then, the joy on the faces of the patients when we administer Music Therapy Intervention has kept us going despite whatever challenges that have come our way.
What are some effective ways to guide oneself from developing mental health issues?
Several ways, let us look at factors that could cause mental health issues. There are some factors that can increase the risk of having mental health issues. Family history is one of them, trauma, substance abuse, stress is a trigger. Some people have it in their genes and if there is no trigger they may not experience any episode till they die. So if all these stated can be avoided your mental health can be intact.
I would also talk about Music Therapy as a way to maintain a healthy mental health. Many of us use music for our mental health without being conscious of it. We see music as entertainment but I tell people that music is beyond entertainment, it has therapeutic effects. Wake up in the morning and put in the music that you love as you prepare for work, it would set the right mood for the day. After the days hustling and bustling, listen to more music. Create your playlist, change the playlist when needed, get new music and by this, it become a conscious habit then you’d agree that music is therapeutic.
Tell us about the award programme you are planning.
Outstanding Healthcare Awards is an award put together to recognise excellent and outstanding services in the healthcare space. It is aimed at recognising outstanding performers among healthcare workers and other related service providers. We extend the reward to the doyens in the field of medicine who did not “Japa” but waited to pass the knowledge to the younger generation in the field of medicine, you may not know, they are doing a great job. There are some department in our tertiary institutions that have just one professor of a particular specialisation, if that one has relocated to abroad or has considered ‘greener pastures’ we would have none. So we feel they need to be celebrated, we need to show them we value and appreciate them and what they do. It would encourage them to do more because what gets recognised and rewarded calls for more.
Do you think mental health patients get the needed support and therapy here in Nigeria?
I think we still have a long way to go when it comes to mental health. We are coming up gradually, the government can’t do it all, some NGOs have been very supportive, for instance Music in Healthcare Initiative (MiHI) offers Music Therapy Intervention for free since 2018 to patients with mental health challenges and other units in the hospital as our quota. I know of ASIDO Foundation, it’s a non-profit mental health advocacy charity they are doing a great job in ensuring persons with mental health challenges do not lack access to quality care irrespective of age, gender, religion or ethnicity. We have quite a number of NGOs like this across the nation supporting. We have individuals as well educating and creating awareness about mental health. All these are aimed at supporting what the government is doing. We would still implore the government on the need to do more even as we appreciate their efforts.
What role can the government play to cut down the growing mental issues in the country?
There is a lot government can do. I would not want to talk about some statistics on funds allocation to mental healthcare here; I would rather present our needs. We need more funds for mental healthcare, we need more mental health facilities, and there is need for promotion of mental health from primary healthcare and lots more.
Can a person have mental health issues and not be aware, or how do you know you have mental health issues?
Well, an individual with mental health issues may not be aware of their mental health condition while some may. For instance, when a relative starts saying they are tired of life and the person keeps saying this often and indeed, he suddenly loses interest in activities once enjoyed then let the person go for diagnosis immediately. Some of these mental issues, for instance, the early stage of depression, there might be loss of interest in activities once enjoyed as said earlier. Reoccurring loss of concentration at intervals calls for the need to see a clinical psychologist; it may be Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTDS) or mood swings or several other issues. Mental disorders are in various degrees that we cannot exhaust here. Someone who has mental challenges may not know but, depending on the classifications, but if he doesn’t know, the people around would definitely notice something is abnormal about them and he or she is derailing from normal. The moment this is noticed, I advise they take action to see a doctor immediately. Psychiatrists and clinical psychologists would work together to ensure their full recovery.
Can children have mental health issues?
Yes, children can. Autism is a mental issue, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), children can be depressed, and they can have PTSD, conduct disorder, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and so on. Some of these children you see that are out of control and some we term arrogant are not, it’s a mental issue. Take them for diagnosis when such is experienced, some can’t stay in school they are truants, some have attention deficit, short attention span and many others. They find it difficult to take corrections or obey authority; all these are mental health disorders in children. Some are hyperactive and we feel, oh he is just restless, no, they are not. You need to talk to your clinical psychologist.
What is your advice to people battling with one mental health issue or the other?
Well, I would direct this to the patient and their relatives because right now someone with mental health issue might not even be able to read this. To the patient I advise seek help, to their relatives I would implore to also seek help some people are afraid of stigmatisation, some relatives are afraid of being stigmatised the reason we still need more mental health awareness to reduce the stigma around mental illness and mental health conditions. We still have a lot of misconceptions about mental health challenges in this part of the world part of why many would rather suffer or die in silence without being treated. I strongly advise they should seek help before things get out of hand and if things have gotten out of hand, don’t neglect your loved ones still seek help and make sure it is from the appropriate quarters.
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