The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has stressed that repeated exposure to traumatic experiences by its officers puts them at risk of mental illness.
According to a statement made available to NGBREAKINGNEWS Metro by the LASTMA spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, on Monday, the General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, disclosed this during a two-day workshop for senior officers of the agency.
He noted that the workshop, themed ‘Restoring Minds and Building Trauma-Informed Communities’, was designed to enhance participants’ understanding of traumatic stress, emotional intelligence, and psychological wellness.
The statement added that Bakare-Oki said the workshop was necessary because of the repeated exposure of personnel of the agency to psychologically challenging experiences.
“He noted that personnel of the agency are frequently confronted with psychologically challenging experiences, including fatal road traffic accidents, confrontations with aggressive motorists, environmental hazards, and emergency rescue operations, thereby underscoring the imperative for sustained trauma-informed interventions and professional psychological support systems.
“According to the GM, the workshop represents a deliberate investment in human capital development aimed at equipping officers with emotional resilience, adaptive coping strategies, and empathetic leadership capabilities required for efficient service delivery and improved workplace productivity,” Taofiq added.
Taofiq added that a mental health expert, Professor Meiro Akindotun, linked the rising cases of mental illnesses to untreated traumatic experiences.
He noted that Akindotun, while delivering her lecture, stressed that one in every three persons experiences a mental health condition in their lifetime, adding that untreated trauma could result in devastating consequences.
Taofiq wrote, “Delivering her lecture during the workshop, the President of the Jars Traumatic Stress Institute and Founder of the African Trauma Care Alliance, Professor Meiro Akindotun, disclosed that approximately one out of every three individuals globally experiences a mental health condition during their lifetime, with trauma identified as one of the most significant contributing factors.
“She explained that traumatic experiences occasioned by economic hardship, political instability, communal crises, gender-based violence, kidnapping, domestic abuse, armed conflicts, and other societal disruptions continue to inflict profound psychological and emotional wounds on millions of people across the world.
“The workshop also critically examined the devastating consequences of untreated trauma, stressing that beyond emotional and psychological distress, traumatic stress substantially contributes to chronic medical conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune disorders, and prolonged emotional dysfunction capable of negatively affecting societal harmony and productivity.”
He noted that participants were also enlightened on the nexus between emotional wellness and physical health, adding that facilitators emphasised the urgent need for accessible, inclusive, and quality mental healthcare services within workplaces and communities.
“Officers at the event collectively described the initiative as a profound call to humanity, affirming that trauma remains treatable and manageable when societies intentionally create safe, supportive, and healing environments that encourage empathy, dialogue, and emotional restoration.
“The workshop concluded with renewed appeals to governments, organisations, healthcare professionals, educators, and community leaders to intensify advocacy for mental health awareness initiatives aimed at dismantling societal stigma, promoting emotional recovery, and restoring hope to individuals affected by traumatic stress,” Taofiq concluded.