By Mustapha Aleem
A lecturer in the department of Behavioral Studies, Redeemers University, Ede, Prof Ebenezer Olutope, has stated that it would be wise to sentence rape perpetrators to a psychiatric home for assessment and appropriate treatment, rather than keep them under the police or prison custody for a long period of time.
He made this call in his inaugural lecture titled:”The Masquerade of a Sweet Poison: Occupational Psychopathology” at Redeemers University on Tuesday.
In his lecture, Prof Olutope outlined that, rape was a psychopathological sexual behavior, which was likely precipitated by the economic recession and eroded value system.
He said, “perpetrators should therefore be perceived as sick and be sent for psychological assessment and appropriate treatment in any of our mental health institutions before their trial.
” Keeping them under police or prison for a very long time may aggravate the problem. They may constitute security risk to themselves and others.
He added that rape victims should as well be referred to clinical psychologists for psychological assessment and appropriate psychotherapy. Such referral, he said would serve as a preventive measure to serious psychopathology in the nearest future.
He gave the statistics of patients who visited the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, from January to December 2015, as 26,050 Outpatient Clinic, 2,526 Child and adolescent, 354 Corporate Patients.
He said, recent study revealed that about 64 million Nigerians manifest psychological disorder, saying only few Nigerians sought assistance from orthodox mental health institutions.
According to him, “our study on the health seeking behavior of Nigerians reveals that most of the patients seek help from traditional healers and religious centers rather than health institutions.”
He however said, as the first Occupational Psychopathologist in Nigeria, he was able to determine alongside his colleagues, the prevalence of psychopathological symptoms, and establish job hazards and stressors in major occupation groups in Nigeria.
” Adequate job knowledge is very essential to prevent frustration and disappointment resulting in psychopathology, such job knowledge includes the job demand, requirements, prospects, the challenges and stressors and hazards of the job.
” Pre-knowledge of challenges, stressors and hazards associated with the work conditions have been found to be significant determinants of job stress level and psychopathology.”
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