Maymunah Kadiri

Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri is a Nigerian mental health advocate, psychiatrist, and psychotherapist. She advocates for mental health by speaking at events, on television shows, and as a columnist at the Guardian Newspapers. She produced Little Drops Of Happy in 2017 to create awareness about mental health in Nigeria. Quotes My interest in psychiatry was sparked by a deep drive to understand the unseen struggles behind the human face. The kind of emotional and psychological pain that often goes unnoticed, especially in clinical settings. Why Maymunah is interested in Psychiatry "There is a toxic mix of problems plaguing our society from poor hygiene, inaccessibility of quality health care, corruption, malnutrition, lack of access to safe drinking water, poor health infrastructure, fake drugs, insufficient financial investments, and lack of sufficient health personnel." Speaking on things that affect society "I don’t see it as a job. I see it as an enjoyable activity that I’m making impact on the lives of people. It is fulfilling. Some people mix up success and fulfilment. I feel really fulfilled being here. I feel really good that I go home knowing that I helped somebody. I feel happy, the impact trickles down." Finding fulfillment in her career "Seeing stigma break right before my eyes, especially in spaces where silence used to reign. Stigma is still widely held towards mental health and people living with mental illnesses, but it’s not as bad as it used to be. The mental conversations are ongoing. People are willing to come out and talk about mental health." Dr. Maymunah's most rewarding experience "When you’re hurt and you haven’t healed, you’re likely going to hurt other people. Let us not continue that vicious circle of trauma because trauma is one major ingredient or factor that makes people have a mental illness. So, let us change this narrative and start watching out for our children, building self-esteem, self-worth, and self-confidence in them, and allowing them to express themselves, in an assertive way." Speaking parents' responsibility to teenagers "I loved something about the brain; I liked things relating to the brain; I liked things that were life changing. I also realized I would not be good in surgery not because I didn’t have the expertise, I liked details. I was looking at neurosurgery or neurology... Neurology also has to do with the brain so it was either that or psychiatry for me." Speaking on why she chose Psychiatry "I’m a very proud Nigerian doctor living and working in Nigeria because not all of us will japa (relocate). I strongly believe we need all hands on deck for Nigeria policymakers, the health professionals, including those in the diaspora to come together and create a long-term blueprint for the sector. This should include a strategy for success in the next 20-30 years with timelines and key performance indicators." Speaking on the way forward for Nigeria's healthcare "I’ve worn these hats to create impact on every level where mental health is misunderstood, ignored, or stigmatised... And balancing these roles hasn’t always been very easy, I must tell you. But it has made my advocacy multidimensional. And I don’t just talk about mental health, I humanise it, live it, and storytell it across platforms where it matters the most." Dr. Maymunah wears many hats "Let’s create a friendly environment where they can easily express themselves, we need to go back to that because if we’re saying 1 out of every 6 Nigerian teenagers is depressed, that is huge; these are our future leaders... So, if a child is already dysfunctional, how are you expecting them to be productive, economically, in society, and relationship-wise?" Speaking on the importance of children's mental health "One area I’m sure we have made a small change is that people are beginning to talk about mental health. A few years ago, it wasn’t so. People are now beginning to come out and say something. We are taking baby steps in the right direction. We are hoping that opens up even more. Even globally, more people are speaking up." Changes Dr. Maymunah has seen over the years "Our government’s performance in the health sector has been abysmal, and this is quite unfortunate, being a Nigerian. Investment in infrastructure has been poor, and meager remuneration for health workers has created a massive brain drain." Speaking on the government's performance in healthcare "Misconception often leads to stigmatisation and a reluctance to seek professional help. So, how am I addressing it in my practice? I address it by showing more empathy and letting people know that mental illnesses are medical conditions, just like how we have physical illnesses." How Dr. Maymunah addresses misconceptions Internal Links