Mental health professionals in the Upper East Region say Ghana Health Service is expanding mental health screening and community interventions as cases of depression, suicide attempts and other mental health conditions continue to rise.
Speaking on Dreamz FM’s “Breakfast Today” program, Regional Mental Health Coordinator Gifty Aboagyewaa Polycarp and Registered Mental Nurse Prince Kofi Yeboah said early detection and community support are critical in addressing mental health challenges.
Polycarp said Ghana Health Service is training community health nurses and midwives to identify mental health conditions among pregnant women and other patients during routine hospital visits.
“What Ghana Health Service intends to do is to train community health nurses and midwives so that when pregnant women go to the hospital, they don’t only screen for physical conditions, they also screen for mental health issues,” she said.
According to her, some pregnant women identified during a pilot intervention in Bongo were found to be suicidal and had to be referred for treatment.
“When intervention was given, it prevented them from putting their suicide thoughts into action,” Polycarp said.
Yeboah said many patients with mental health conditions initially report physical symptoms such as headaches, sleeplessness and loss of appetite, making it important for healthcare workers to ask additional questions.
“The best thing we think of is malaria testing,” he said. “But some of these people may actually be dealing with mental health conditions.”
The mental health experts said community health volunteers have also been trained to identify suspected mental health cases and refer them for treatment.
Polycarp stressed the importance of confidentiality and respectful communication when handling mental health patients.
“If you are not careful, somebody may translate a question about family mental health history as, ‘How many mad people do you have in your family?’” she said.
The professionals also sought to debunk myths surrounding mental illness, including beliefs that epilepsy can be transmitted through touch or that mental illness is punishment from the gods.
Yeboah recounted an incident in Bongo where bystanders refused to assist a man suffering an epileptic attack because they feared they would contract the condition.
“They said if they touched him, they would also get the condition,” he said.
Polycarp said mental health conditions can run in families, similar to diabetes and hypertension, but stressed that individuals can reduce their risk through healthy lifestyles, stress management and avoiding substance abuse.
The experts urged communities to pay attention to warning signs such as isolation, persistent sadness, hopelessness and suicidal comments.
They also encouraged people experiencing emotional distress to seek counseling and professional support early.
Mental Health Awareness Month, popularly known as “Purple Month,” is observed throughout May to promote awareness, advocacy and action on mental health issues in Ghana.
