Synapse Services, one of Nigeria’s foremost private mental healthcare providers, was established in 2009. Synapse Wellness was created in 2017 to help individuals identify and manage the various stressors in their personal lives, workplaces and homes before it reaches critical levels. In this interview, Moses Tingir, a clinical psychologist with Synapse Wellness, speaks about the organization’s involvement in activities marking World Sickle Cell Day 2019.
Our objectives in establishing Synapses Wellness
The objective of Synapse Wellness is to help people identify and manage stressors in their personal lives, workplaces, schools and homes before it leads to serious mental health issues. We believe that many mental health problems that people experience can be prevented through a wellness approach that encourages healthy lifestyles. We provide all round psychosocial support via telephone and face-to-face counselling. We also provide trainings for organisations in the area of mental health first aid in the workplace.
Corporate Social Responsibility For SCD
People living with sickle cell disease may experience a lot of emotional problems such as anxiety and depression from various sources, addiction to pain medications such as pentazocine and engage in risk-taking behaviour. As an organisation that is concerned about the mental health and psychological wellbeing of people, we decided to step in to intervene, by providing psychosocial support to people with sickle cell via telephone counselling. The aim is to provide them with the avenue to express their emotional burden and receive professional help.
WSCD 2019
To mark this year’s World Sickle Cell Day, Synapse Wellness is partnering with various sickle cell organizations to offer one-week free telephone counselling for people living with sickle cell and their caregivers. We run a 24/7 call centre and our telephone lines will be open to people living with sickle cell and their caregivers across Nigeria from the 17th – 23rd June 2019 to enable them speak to our professional clinicians about their psychological issues and emotional burdens.
Physical wellness Vs Psychological Wellness
A lot of focus is given to physical wellbeing. However, there is a need to equally give attention to the psychological and mental health needs of people living with sickle cell as well as their caregivers considering the pain and trauma they go through on a regular basis. This will go a long way in improving their quality of life and overall wellbeing.
Other services provided
As a Wellness organisation, our focus is on individuals, families, students, and employees. We provide services related to workplace stress (many organizations tend to downplay this, yet it is crucial for the achievement of organizational goals) as well as mental health issues bordering on depression, anxiety, suicide, drug abuse, family crisis and so on. Synapse Services also offers excellent inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services for people who suffer with SCD and other chronic health conditions in relation to addiction to pain killers such as Tramadol, Penthazocine, Pethidine etc.