Free Mental Health Screening to Mark the World Mental Health Day

The Retreat, Nigeria’s purpose-built private mental hospital, based in Ikorodu, Lagos Nigeria will hold a mental awareness and free mental health screening on Tuesday, October 10, 2017, at 10 am to mark the World Mental Health Day which is always celebrated on that same day worldwide. The World Mental Health Day according to the World Health Organisation, WHO, is marked with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. The day thus provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental issues to talk about their work and what more needs to be done to make mental healthcare a reality for people worldwide. In line with the WHO objectives, the Retreat, through the mental awareness exercise and free screening aims to add value to mental services in Nigeria across board including education and raising awareness about mental issues in Nigeria in general. Speaking on the Retreat mental health awareness drive, Dr Olufemi Oluwatayo, the Retreat Chief Executive, commented that “the World Mental Health Day theme this year focuses on “Mental Health at the Work Place”. “We know that many employers and organizations do not see issues of mental health at the workplace as a priority and many employees may be suffering in silence. We, therefore, feel that this is an opportunity to help screen people for common mental disorders such as anxiety and depression and advise on treatment pathways if necessary. We are offering free screening services”; skilled Doctors will be on call both on the phone and at the Retreat campus in Ikorodu to offer confidential help”, he said. The mental health awareness will be coordinated by Dr. Olufemi Oluwatayo, the Retreat Chief Executive, an award-winning graduate of the University of Ibadan Medical School, currently a Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Director at Milton Park Hospital in the United Kingdom. A former Mental Health Advisor to the Lagos Ministry of Health Dr. Oluwatayo a WHO Scholar, writer, and a mental health advocate was also a Welcome Research Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Manchester UK. The Retreat’s highly skilled Psychiatrists, Mental Health Nurses, Therapist Assistants, an Occupational Therapist and a top Clinical Psychologist will be available to provide dignified care in a therapeutic and serene environment at the Retreat Campus in Ikorodu, Lagos. About The Retreat: The Retreat Healthcare is a world-class in-patient and out-patient facility that provides dignified care for mentally disordered people in Nigeria through therapeutic recovery treatments. It is the first purpose-built privately owned mental health facility in Nigeria, built solely to cater for the therapeutic treatment and recovery of patients. The Retreat healthcare is uniquely situated in over a 1-acre private estate in Ikorodu, offering serene, quiet and tranquil environment needed for recovery away from the Lagos city noise. The treatment program is focused on psychological treatments, recovery and therapeutic environment with the support of skilled Psychiatrists, Mental Health Nurses, Therapist Assistants, an Occupational Therapist and a top Clinical Psychologist.