Mental health remains one of the most overlooked issues in Nigeria. The burden posed by traditional healers in the provision of mental health services is becoming a public health concern in the country. This article presents a review of the present situation on the mental health service provision in Nigeria by traditional healers and highlights way forward actions for policy makers, government, and other stakeholders. These include the need for a policy direction on the need for establishing an improved system of psychiatric and mental health services in hospitals that will drive cultural acceptability, accessibility, and affordability. Further, there is a need for policy measures to be in place towards creating long term directions and sustainability of documentations of traditional healer's activities, harmful avoidance and improved mental health services in primary health centers. The fact that traditional healers are indispensable in provision of mental health services, call for collaborative effort to improve services such as behavioral change, capacity building and referral practice that could save more lives and reduce severity of complications.

Across Africa's semiarid Sahel region, temperatures have risen faster than the global average, resulting in severe threats to water access, food security, and human health. Key climate factors such as desertification interact with ethnic and economic tensions, exacerbating violence between pastoral and farming groups competing over degraded productive land and water resources. Mounting climate pressures act as threat multipliers for both violent conflict and internal displacement across countries spanning Senegal to Sudan. This perspective examines intersections of climate change, violent clashes, and forced migration using incidents in Nigeria and Burkina Faso—where droughts, floods and agricultural losses continue to worsen. With 8 million internally displaced persons in the region now, urban areas face overburdened infrastructure while attempting to host influxes of traumatized, impoverished migrants facing further risks. This article argues that integrated policy action is urgently needed to mitigate climate change, enhance community resilience, and protect vulnerable groups to ease cascading humanitarian crises and achieve development goals amid spiraling environmental pressures across West Africa.

Triggered by the lived experiences of the authors-one junior career, female, and black; the other senior career, male, and black-we provide a critical, sociological overview of the plight of racial/ethnic minority students in medical education. We analyze the concepts of categorization, othering, and belonging in medical education, which we use to shed light on the psychological and academic consequences of overgeneralizing social categories. The ability to categorize people into different social groups is a natural, subconscious phenomenon. Creating social groups is believed to aid people in navigating the world. This permits people to relate to others based on assumed opinions and actions. Race and gender are two primary dimensions of categorization, with race or ethnicity being a particularly salient category. However, over-generalization of social categories can lead the categorizer to think, judge, and treat themselves and members of a perceived group similarly, leading to prejudice and stereotyping. Social categorization also occurs in educational settings across the globe. The consequences of categorization may influence a student's feelings of belonging and academic success. Our analysis reflects on how to promote equitable opportunities for ethnic minority medical trainees through the lens of those who have experienced and succeeded in an inequitable system. By revisiting the social and psychological constructs that determine and influence the academic progress and success of minority students in medical education, we discovered that more engagement is (still) needed for critical discourse on this topic. We expect such conversations to help generate new insights to improve inclusion and equity in our educational systems.

Racial discrimination is a global concern affecting education, including medical programs in the Netherlands. Covert racial discrimination in academia has been linked to adverse academic outcomes and unequal opportunities. This qualitative study explores the relationship between racism, well-being, and academic success among ethnic minority students in Dutch medical education. Conducted in 2021 at a southern Netherlands university, this research employed interviews to delve into the racial discrimination experiences of 11 diverse medical students. Utilising a phenomenological approach, the study conducted semi-structured interviews and applied thematic content analysis to understand how racial discrimination impacted the students’ well-being. The findings revealed the prevalence of both overt and covert racial discrimination in predominantly white educational environments. Ethnic minority students encountered discrimination that negatively affected their well-being and academic performance. Racism manifested in overt and covert ways, with students often normalising exclusionary and racist situations. Ethnic minority students reported experiencing more racial discrimination than their white European peers, resulting in feelings of exclusion and academic challenges. The study suggests that implementing student-centred inclusivity measures through structural and institutional changes, such as support structures, mentoring programs, and inclusive course content, can mitigate racial discrimination, enhance diversity and inclusion, and improve ethnic minority medical students’ mental well-being and academic performance. Addressing covert racism is crucial for fostering an equitable and inclusive educational environment. These findings underscore the importance of proactive action to combat racial discrimination in educational settings.

Youth vaping remains a major public health concern, with sexual and gender minority youth experiencing disproportionately higher rates of e-cigarette use compared to their non-LGBTQ + peers. These disparities are not attributable to identity itself, but to social and structural conditions that shape exposure to risk and access to protection. This narrative review synthesizes evidence on shared and LGBTQ + -specific risk and protective factors for vaping initiation and escalation among youth aged 10–24 years. Guided by the Social Ecological Model, findings are organized across individual, interpersonal, organizational/community, and societal levels, and interpreted through two complementary mechanisms: a minority stress–related coping pathway and a socialization and identity pathway. Across levels, discrimination and stigma emerge as cross-cutting risk processes that intensify psychological distress, normalize vaping within social networks, and undermine protective environments. Protective factors, including identity affirmation, supportive relationships, affirming institutions, and inclusive policies, buffer these pathways and promote resilience. This review highlights limitations of one-size-fits-all prevention approaches and underscores the need for selective, mechanism-informed interventions that address both shared developmental risks and the structural drivers of LGBTQ + vaping disparities.

Mental illness remains a global issue with limited community treatment options. In response, there has been a shift toward community-based approaches, such as the international Clubhouse model, which uses a “work-ordered day” structure. This study examines the impact of a London, England-based Clubhouse on members’ well-being and recovery, aiming to advance mental health care. A primary qualitative study was conducted at Mosaic Clubhouse with 16 participants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions, then thematically analyzed following ethical guidelines. Four themes emerged reflecting participants’ recovery experiences: “A Sense of Stability and Well-being” (improved daily functioning through structured support), “A Sense of Purpose” (finding meaning through contribution to the Clubhouse community), “A Sense of Achievement” (personal growth through skill development and autonomy), and “A Sense of Belonging” (social connections and acceptance within a supportive community). Participants described feeling “less bad” about themselves, having their lives “come back to life,” and experiencing reduced admissions. Challenges identified included staff turnover, repetitive activities, and limited board diversity. The study highlights the importance of addressing fundamental human needs in mental health interventions. It supports community-based recovery models that emphasize collaboration, empowerment, and belonging. The Clubhouse model aligns with evolving mental health care paradigms and underscores the role of these needs in both community and hospital-based approaches. Future research could examine which specific Clubhouse activities drive recovery-relevant outcomes and how these can be scaled to help close treatment gaps.