In the second part of our interview with Dr. Emmanuel Ahmadu, we explore how he identified parental pressure as a major contributor to depression in young people.
Read on to discover his advice for young people looking to pursue careers in mental health advocacy.
What groundbreaking findings have you discovered in preventing social misconduct among youths?
I think the program I did during my NYSC, was a mental health awareness and sensitisation program across fifty high schools.
I wanted to do it across the state, but there were limitations. I was told it was beyond the requirements of a corp member to hold that kind of event across the state, I could only do it within a zone or a local government.
So I did it in Ilorin, it got the attention of the state governor, and I was commended for such huge work. Before I got to Kwara for service, I had done my background check on the problems that their teenagers and youth were experiencing.
At that point, there were huge cases of suicide in primary schools, secondary schools, and among students and university professors. I started making those connections from the NYSC camp, connecting with the state coordinator about a project I wanted to do in Kwara State and how I needed help and support.
What actually resulted in suicidal thoughts in the students was the role of family, especially their parents. Parents pressure their kids concerning their grades, which makes them scared, and sometimes these kids don’t know who to talk to. Some parents need to stop pressuring their kids because most people don’t forget what they experienced growing up.
Parents and guardians need to play a better role in encouraging their kids and creating that space for trust. Kids want to be loved, and parents need to improve at showing love to their kids, not just in words but in actions.
What strategies are most effective in suicide prevention?
Speaking from a global point of view, for most of the people experiencing depression, one of the strategies that I will say is effective is creating that personal connection with them.
Sometimes, reaching out online is effective, but eye contact with the person, showing that love and care can go a long way. I have seen the impacts, and it really works.
Back home in Nigeria and here in the U.S., I have connected with people who I didn’t know what they were going through, but because I take my time to listen to them and connect them to resources that will help them, I end up making an impact.
Some of them were tired of life, not knowing what to do next, but just being able to connect with them made all the difference, and that is one thing that I try to create: a network where young people can also create these connections within their environment.
Most times, people need to see you in person to be able to trust you. This is why what I did in Kwara State was very impactful.
Most of the high school students had been covering their pains and had been quiet for so long because they did not know the right person to reach out to, and no one had ever reached out to them. But the fact that I was there in person, sharing my experience, they saw the pain of what I had gone through, and they wanted to just communicate their hearts to me, and a connection was felt. This can’t be compared to a phone call.
This is what I have seen as effective, and yes, I am ready to continue to use my experience to unite other people to start the work in their environment.
How do you balance your administrative duties, advocacy, and research? What time management technique has helped you maintain balance?
I think all these started during my undergraduate program at the University of Benin. Being committed to being a great person in life is one thing, and then having a plan, a purpose, and a structure for achieving those plans is another thing.
It all started in Nigeria. I knew my weaknesses and strengths, and I knew that I wanted to achieve something excellent in my academics, in competitions, and at my job because I was working as a student assistant back then.
And I also had other people in my life that helped me keep track of the things I needed to do. These really shaped my programs because I was able to get the best in my academics, get the best at my job, represent the school, and travel. I also tried to balance it with my spiritual life, connecting with people who are prayerful and committed to church.
When I moved to the U.S., I was part of the student government, I was the student government secretary, and I was the student government president of the college. One of the things that helped me was having a calendar and setting reminders on my phone, and I still created time for God.
For my classes, I did my assignments on time, a couple of days before they were due, because almost every day I attended to students, and I wanted to be as responsive as I could be.
I did all the major things first—things that would help me achieve my goals. Sometimes I turned down some program invitations because I didn’t want to overstress myself. On those days, I would just go to class and then get some rest.
But there were also important programs I couldn’t miss. So the programs had to have priority, if they were not connected to my interests or my career, I did not do them.
I also did not go to parties because I had a lot on my plate. I also took time to analyse myself and ask myself questions, I did not want to be all over the place. I tried to structure my duties properly so they did not clash with other duties.
Whenever I am invited to hang out, I always ask myself what benefits the hangout has on my purpose: will this hangout prevent me from resting, does it hinder church? Does it hinder volunteering?
Can you tell us what makes your approach to youth behaviour and mental health advocacy unique?
I think I will still bring a bit of background to some of the work I have done in Nigeria.
Being a young person, my face is the first thing people see when they see me because people want to connect with someone in their age group. Young people believe that a fellow young person will understand them more.
The fact that these issues affect the young generation makes it easy for me to connect with them instead of the older generation. You know that the experiences of the young generation and those of the old are really different because of the time differences.
So being a young person really helps, and also being in that shoe and having my own traumatic experiences also helped.
Also, having a heart for people is really important because people do not care about others these days. When I hear young people talk about their issues, I always want to help them, if I don’t, I will feel like I haven’t done anything.
Connectedness is one of my top strengths. I discovered this in some of the leadership programs that I enrolled in. When people come to me with their problems, I am already thinking of a solution or resources to connect them to without even telling them, helping them become better people.
Because I believe that if I do not have money, I have a heart and resources I can connect people to.
Is formal education still a major criterion for success in our present day, especially for the modern Nigerian youth?
I think as someone who has been in Nigeria and is here in the United States, people have different opinions, and I also believe that when you look at other people like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, Some of these people started schooling and then dropped out, but at some point, they also came back to continue their education because they had the money.
People kind of see it in different ways, but to me, education helps you, no matter the level of education you attain. Some people just need to have some level of education to communicate well and make good decisions. Education is vital, no matter the level.
No matter the level of education you can get, when you have the opportunity, just go for it, it’s not a waste. People just always feel like education is a waste and a scam, and you can get your way around it. You still find out that those people exhibit some behaviours and attitudes that show they are not educated. Some educated people also behave like that, but it kind of shapes your decision-making.
When you are educated, you get to learn about society in a formal setting. In a nutshell, school and a formal education are important. Even if you are in business, people who are educated will patronise you, and if you are not educated, you will be cheated. Formal education plays its own role in bridging the gap.
Education helps in shaping our behaviour, our day-to-day approach to life, our decision-making, and so much more. It’s not just something you can learn at home from your brothers and sisters.
The environment also has its role, but formal education will give you a bedrock and a foundation for why things are happening in society.
For example, my background in mass communication has really helped me, and I always think about how I can apply it, and how I can use it to open some doors and get access to resources. Being educated exposes us to opportunities.
For your final question, what advice would you give young Nigerians aiming for a global impact in mental health advocacy? What steps should they take to make their voices heard on an international platform?
My advice would be to remain positive-minded and put your reliance on God because sometimes we might make plans and goals and they might end up not happening because we are just humans.
These things just don’t happen, but be positive-minded, trust the journey, work towards that goal, and have the right people around you.
Also, being aware of different organisations in your community and volunteering there will add value to your resume. Network with nonprofit organizations, and meet and connect with like-minded people.
Place your mind on your dream, when you see other people achieving theirs, don’t be distracted, keep your focus high, and be self-motivated. Only share your story when the time is right and with the right audience.
Just being self-motivated and having a goal will help you. I have always believed that one day I am going to be great in life, not only in my country but internationally as well.
When I was young, going through all of those things, I still believed in myself that I would be celebrated. I didn’t know how it would happen, I just knew that. Sometimes you might not be able to figure something out when you are just starting out, but eventually, you will.
So you just need to be focused and not hang around people who will discourage you. Seek out people who genuinely care about your goals. If you are in a different career and you are aspiring to go into mental health, read more about mental health and find your area. Find something that interests you.
