Stress,Mental Health Disorders Threaten Journalism Profession – Psychiatrist
By Abdullahi Yusuf
Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Shehu, a Consultant Psychiatrist at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano, has identified stress and mental health disorders as growing threats to the journalism profession in Nigeria and the world.
Dr. Shehu sounded the alarm in a paper entitled: “Pressure amid deadline: Psychiatric/Mental Health Precautions,” which he presented at the 2025 Retreat of the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), with the theme: “Emerging Trends In Journalism: Impact of AI, News Sources & Digital-Driven Newsroom In Modern Journalism; Task Before Journalists,” holding at Pyramid Hotel, Kaduna.
Dr. Shehu said the fast-paced and high-pressure nature of journalism had exposed many practitioners to chronic stress, trauma, depression and other psychological disorders.
“Journalists are stressful and always under pressure to meet deadlines and break the news. What can we do about it? Even though stress is always around us, the only place you stay without stress is the graveyard,” he said.
According to him,reporters often witness tragic and traumatic events first-hand, which may silently affect their mental stability over time.
He observed that, like military personnel, journalists are always present at gory and tragic scenes, making them highly vulnerable to trauma.
The psychiatrist warned that unless journalists begin to take mental health seriously, the industry may continue to lose practitioners to depression, suicide and stress-related illnesses.
He, therefore,advised journalists to seek medical and emotional support when overwhelmed, cultivate healthier work routines, identify the causes of stress early, and prioritise adequate sleep and rest.
He then shared examples of journalists who died by suicide or from untreated depression, underscoring the importance of taking psychological wellbeing as seriously as physical health.