Ghanaian Mental Health

overview

Treatment
of
research focus
and
& gained insight

Stigma
from
study abroad
experience
of
Rhiley
Farenthold
 Facilities & Services
LOW HIGH

GHANA’S 2004
WORLD HEALTH
ED Y

MENTAL HEALTH
ORGANIZATION’S
NE NC

CO
OF UE

SERVICE
MODEL PYRAMID

ST
EQ

STRUCTURE
FR

HIGH LOW
(Osei, 2007)
 Human Resources
# of psychiatrists per 100,000

total # of mental health staff

(Roberts, 2013)
 Treatment
Inpatient Outpatient
# receiving day treatment
# of admissions to per 100,000
psych hospital beds # treated as outpatient
per 100,000 per 100,000

★ Decentralization
★ Deinstitutionalization
(Roberts, 2013)
 Financial Concerns
government mental
% of minimum wage needed health spending
to buy medication per capita (USD)

1.4%
of total
healthcare
budget

(Roberts, 2013)
Echoes of Colonialism

Transformation of political systems

Weakening of indigenous power structures

Domination of Ghanaian psyches

70-80% seek traditional medicine as
Collectivistic Religiosity
frontline for all healing

★ Value of human life

★ Supernaturalism

★ Self efficacy

Many churches aim to provide

spiritual healing that blends
Christianity with traditional medicine
Community Education
Hopes for Collaboration

★ Task sharing
○ Biomedical professionals
○ Traditional healers
○ Charismatic faith healers
○ Social workers

★ Government action and funding

★ University programs (health law)
★ School-based mental health awareness
 Gained Insight

★ Deep-rooted impacts of colonialism

★ Limitations of government

★ Promise of spiritual systems

★ Value of task sharing

★ Treatment models not universal

Ghanaian Mental Health

Thank You
Charts
Osei, A., Saweka, J., Twum-Barima, S., Agossou, T.,
& Funk, M. (2007, October). Developing the
Mental Health Act (Issue brief) from World
Health Organization (MIND) website:
www.thekintampoproject.org

Roberts, M., Asare, J., Mogan, C., Adjase, E., &

Osei, A. (2013, June). The Mental Health
System in Ghana (Issue brief) from The
Kintampo Project (on behalf of the Ghana
Ministry of Health) website:
www.thekintampoproject.org