TY - JOUR
T1 - Stakeholders' perceptions of the main challenges facing Ghana's mental health care system
T2 - A qualitative analysis
AU - Doku, Victor
AU - Ofori-Atta, Angela
AU - Akpalu, Bright
AU - Osei, Akwasi
AU - Read, Ursula
AU - Cooper, Sara
PY - 2011/6/1
Y1 - 2011/6/1
N2 - Mental health remains a low priority in Ghana. No comprehensive studies have assessed the current status of mental health policy, legislation and services in Ghana. This paper presents the qualitative results of a situation analysis conducted as part of the first phase of the Mental Health and Poverty Project. The aim of this paper was to explore what a range of stakeholders perceive as the main challenges facing Ghana's mental health system and the primary ways of addressing them. A total of 81 interviews and seven focus groups were held with key stakeholders drawn from five of the 10 regions in Ghana. The major challenges identified included: inadequate implementation of mental health policy; legislative limbo; inadequate human and financial resource; widespread stigma; dominance of psychiatric hospitals; and insufficient human rights protections for the mentally ill. A range of policy, legislative and service-related recommendations were made for addressing the situation. The results revealed that mental health services in Ghana need to scaled-up to respond to unmet needs in ways that are cost-effective within the budget of a low-income country. Enacting the current mental health bill and identifying strategies for overcoming the barriers to policy implementation will mark significant steps forward.
AB - Mental health remains a low priority in Ghana. No comprehensive studies have assessed the current status of mental health policy, legislation and services in Ghana. This paper presents the qualitative results of a situation analysis conducted as part of the first phase of the Mental Health and Poverty Project. The aim of this paper was to explore what a range of stakeholders perceive as the main challenges facing Ghana's mental health system and the primary ways of addressing them. A total of 81 interviews and seven focus groups were held with key stakeholders drawn from five of the 10 regions in Ghana. The major challenges identified included: inadequate implementation of mental health policy; legislative limbo; inadequate human and financial resource; widespread stigma; dominance of psychiatric hospitals; and insufficient human rights protections for the mentally ill. A range of policy, legislative and service-related recommendations were made for addressing the situation. The results revealed that mental health services in Ghana need to scaled-up to respond to unmet needs in ways that are cost-effective within the budget of a low-income country. Enacting the current mental health bill and identifying strategies for overcoming the barriers to policy implementation will mark significant steps forward.
KW - Challenges
KW - Ghana
KW - Mental health system
KW - Qualitative study
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79956321044&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/17542863.2010.503038
DO - 10.1080/17542863.2010.503038
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79956321044
SN - 1754-2863
VL - 4
SP - 8
EP - 22
JO - International Journal of Culture and Mental Health
JF - International Journal of Culture and Mental Health
IS - 1
ER -
