The media were once awash with the news that Nigerian music executive and CEO of Def Jam Records, Tunji Balogun, attempted suicide but was rescued by a friend. A few months later, he took to his Instagram page to address the episode.
“Black people have been suffering with deep-rooted real pride and DHO when it comes to seeking help… We laugh at people for going to see a therapist, we say IF YOU SCARED, GO TO CHURCH. We look down on people who seek help, who are suffering from mental health and depression, or drugs and alcoholic abuse, or even gambling, but the truth is most of us… need help for real,” part of a now-deleted post.
More than 60 million Nigerians suffer from some form of mental health challenge, with only 10% able to access adequate care, according to the President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, Taiwo Obindo.
Despite having Africa’s highest depression caseload and the 15th highest suicide frequency rate globally, less than 150 psychiatrists practice in the country. On the contrary, Sweden, with a population smaller than Lagos, has more than 2,000 psychiatrists.
Furthermore, people with mental health conditions are often stigmatised and their conditions are frequently attributed to drug misuse, witchcraft, possession by evil spirits, and genetic conditions. Therefore, it is common for individuals with mental health challenges to hide or deny their realities to protect themselves.
There’s a need for mental health solutions in the country, and just like technology has revolutionised industries such as finance and communication, technology presents an opportunity to provide accessible and affordable mental health services.
One startup taking advantage of the growing technology penetration is Truthshare, a three-year-old startup designed to provide easy and quick access to individuals who need mental health care.
Since its launch, it has facilitated over 3,000 therapy sessions, with 35 registered counsellors onboarded. For its next phase, it is launching a mobile app available on both the Android and Apple stores to provide on-the-go access to mental health care for its users.
Reflecting on the motive behind building the startup, Fortune Bekee, CTO of Truthshare, disclosed that Truthshare was built to meet the growing need for accessible and reliable mental health resources.
“Getting counselling can be difficult,” he says. “When you need someone to talk to about various crises in your life, from depression to loneliness to things not working, you find that you either have to go to a church or your parents or friends, when you would have preferred to do it quietly or meet a counsellor. By leveraging technology and innovation, Truthshare is here to help ease depression and improve the mental health of Africans,” he adds.
On the Truthshare app, users can book sessions with licenced counsellors in at least ten specialities for as little as ₦5,000. At that price point, Truthshare’s counselling services are among the cheapest in Nigeria, and the team continues to work on ways to provide affordable mental health care without sacrificing quality. The ease of booking appointments eliminates long wait times and puts the power in the hands of the user.
“Our goal is to strike a balance between affordability and maintaining the high standards of care and expertise that our counsellors offer. We regularly review our pricing structure and consider feedback from our community to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our users effectively,” Catherine Fatoyinbo, Head of Counselling at Truthshare reveals.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic sent the world scampering indoors and accelerated remote working options, our battle against loneliness has worsened. A 2023 Meta-Gallup survey showed that 1 in 4 adults globally report feeling lonely. Among adults aged 19 to 29, the trend worsens, with 27% of them reporting feelings of loneliness.
With this in mind, Truthshare has been built to take advantage of the benefits of having a community. The Truthshare app includes a chat feature that allows community members to give and receive support anonymously.
There’s also the option of paid one-on-one chats and calls with trained individuals called friendly listeners, starting from as low as ₦500 for 30-minute sessions. Moreover, the app hosts various free chat rooms dedicated to specific mental health concerns, allowing users to engage with others who may be experiencing similar challenges.
These chat rooms cover a wide range of topics, including depression, anger issues, heartbreak, career and business, and grief. This diversity ensures that users can find a supportive community where they feel understood and can share their experiences openly.
In addition to professional counselling and one-on-one chat sessions, Truthshare hosts a podcast where issues presented by members of the community are dissected with the help of competent professionals. It also has a stories section where users can express themselves in written words.
Anonymity is critical to Truthshare’s value proposition due to the stigma associated with mental health issues in Nigeria. Consequently, it allows users who would rather write about their experiences to do so anonymously. A robust security infrastructure guarantees that user data is secure.
The app also includes access to a toll-free suicide helpline ensuring that users are only one call away from accessing help. While the line is available all day from Mondays to Saturdays, it is only accessible from 7 pm on Sundays.
For counselling to be effective, it must consider the unique needs of the person needing help. For Truthshare, that means considering cultural nuances that could influence users.
For example, users can filter counsellors by location and language allowing them to choose counsellors they are comfortable with. Truthshare’s value proposition extends beyond the app, with a robust support structure to promptly respond to user queries.
Whether you’re looking to curb depression, manage stress, or simply cultivate greater well-being, Truthshare is here to support you at every turn. Take the first step towards mental wellness by downloading the app on the Google Play or Apple App Store today.
