Address Mental Illness among Clergy, Seminarians to Curb Rise of “mentally unstable priests”: Archbishop in Nigeria

He urged the Clergy participating in the workshop to take it seriously. “You are the future of the Church. Pay attention. After this workshop, we will start referring seminarians to you for assessments. If we do not prioritize this now, we risk ending up with more mentally unstable Priests than healthy ones,” Archbishop Audu said.

He also cautioned participants in the workshop against negative perspectives regarding their participation in mental health training. He said, “Some people might call you names. Some may say you belong to a cartel. But ignore that. What you are doing here is for the good of the Church,” the Local Ordinary of Jos said.

He noted that physical illness typically presents obvious symptoms, such as dizziness or yellow eyes in cases of fever but mental illness often remains hidden until it has escalated beyond simple intervention. 

“When we don’t know the signs, we miss the opportunity to help early. By the time we notice, it may be too late,” the Nigerian Catholic Church leader, who started his Episcopal Ministry in March 2001 as Bishop of Nigeria’s Lafia Catholic Diocese warned.

Also speaking to ACI Africa, the Coordinator of DAKS Psychological Consults, Samuel Dakwak, provided background on the mental health training initiative. 

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The training is part of a long-term plan to improve mental health awareness and competence among Clergy, Mr. Dakwak said, and added, “We are collaborating with the Catholic Archdiocese of Jos and other partners to organize this targeted mental health workshop for Priests and religious leaders.”

“Our goal is to build their understanding and capabilities so that they can better serve their communities and handle mental health challenges in their pastoral work,” he said, and revealed that Priests participating in the workshop are from across Northern Nigeria, drawn from the Ecclesiastical Provinces of Jos, Abuja, and Kaduna.

 “Our research shows that while Priests are highly educated, there is still a knowledge gap when it comes to mental health. That’s the gap we are working to bridge,” he said.

In the May 16 interview, the Coordinator of DAKS Psychological Consults said that the team in Jos Archdiocese has been organizing similar workshops with other Nigerian Episcopal Sees for over a decade. 

“We hope this movement continues to grow and spreads not only across Nigeria but throughout Africa. Mental health must be a central topic in religious leadership and care,” Mr. Dakwak said.

On his part, the Vocations Director of Jos Archdiocese, Fr Matthew Sukada, weighed in on the training’s impact. He said, “I’ve attended previous workshops on mental health, but this one has deepened my understanding.”

“There were issues I never had any clue about. This training has helped me personally and in my work with seminarians,” Fr. Sukada told ACI Africa. 

He underscored the value of the training for the Nigerian Church, saying, “Our country needs to focus more on mental health. It’s a crucial issue. After this workshop, I’m more prepared to help those who come to me and, where necessary, guide them to the appropriate experts.”

“Mental health isn’t something anyone can just step into without knowledge. You need to know what to do and where to go. That is what I’ve gained from this training,” the Nigerian Catholic Priest said, acknowledging the limits of non-experts in handling mental health matters.

Fr. Sukada expressed hope that the knowledge the participants gained would translate into better pastoral care and leadership in the Church.

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 “At the end of this workshop, we will have a renewed commitment to paying more attention to mental health in Church formation and leadership,” the Vocations Director of Jos Archdiocese told ACI Africa on May 16.

Abah Anthony John is a Nigerian Catholic journalist with passion for Church communication and media apostolate. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Benue State University, Makurdi in Benue State Nigeria. He has a background in print, electronic and multi-media production.