Ghana needs urgent conversations on mental health

In recent years, conversations around mental health have become more visible globally, but in Ghana, we still have a long way to go. 

The theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Month, “Turn Awareness into Action,” is not only timely but vital, especially as we confront the silent epidemic of mental illness affecting individuals across the country, from bustling cities to rural communities. 

As a health communication researcher with a focus on mental health, I believe it is time we moved beyond awareness campaigns and turned our collective concern into concrete strategies that address mental health stigma, miseducation and systemic neglect.

Mental health is a critical component of individual well-being and national development.

When students cannot concentrate due to anxiety, when parents suffer in silence from depression or when young people are pushed to the brink by social pressures with no support, we all suffer as a nation.

And yet, despite countless awareness events, social media hashtags and national mental health policies, the reality on the ground remains largely unchanged.

Mental illness is still whispered about with shame, dismissed as spiritual punishment or worse, left untreated until it is too late.

We must begin by having open, honest and culturally sensitive conversations about mental health, starting in our homes, places of worship and most importantly, in our educational institutions.

The youth are especially vulnerable, navigating academic pressure, family expectations, economic hardships and identity crises, often without any support.

Yet, mental health is hardly ever integrated into our school curricula and very few institutions provide accessible, professional counselling services.

This silence is dangerous. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one in four people will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime.

In Ghana, data from the Mental Health Authority (MHA) suggests that about 13 per cent of Ghanaians are living with a mental disorder and yet mental health services are underfunded, understaffed and overwhelmed.  

The few psychiatric hospitals we have are unable to meet demand and community-based care is nearly nonexistent. More troubling is the fact that many individuals turn to unqualified spiritual healers who­­ may unintentionally worsen their conditions due to a lack of medical understanding.

This is not to discount the role of spirituality. Faith plays a meaningful role in many people’s healing journeys but it should not replace professional mental healthcare. We must find a balance.

Visiting a faith leader and seeking help from a psychologist or counsellor should not be seen as mutually exclusive. Just as we would combine prayer with medical treatment for malaria or hypertension, we must learn to address mental illness with the same dual approach, recognising both the physical and spiritual dimensions of healing.

Dismantling stigma

To truly turn awareness into action, I am advocating a nationwide mental health initiative in our schools, colleges and universities.

Every educational institution in Ghana should be required to establish a well-resourced counselling centre staffed with trained professionals, including licensed psychologists and counsellors, rather than just advisors.

These centres should provide confidential support, stress management training and peer-led support groups.

This will not only help students manage their struggles but also foster a culture of openness, empathy and resilience.

Beyond institutional reform, we need to normalise mental health conversations in our public discourse.

Our media platforms must begin to feature real stories of survival, healing and hope.

Traditional and social media influencers, pastors, chiefs and celebrities must be enlisted as mental health champions.

Furthermore, our government must increase funding for mental health services, invest in training mental health professionals and fully enforce the Mental Health Act of 2012.

Turning awareness into action involves moving from discussing mental health to creating environments where individuals feel safe seeking help.

It consists of dismantling the stigma associated with mental illness and replacing it with compassion, science and policy.

It entails building a Ghana where mental health is not a luxury but a fundamental human right accessible to all, regardless of income, location or belief system.

As a country that prides itself on Ubuntu, our shared humanity, it is time we extend that humanity to those who are suffering in silence.

Ending the stigma around mental health is not just a personal victory, it is a national imperative.

A mentally healthy population is productive, creative and resilient.

If we are serious about nation-building, then we must be serious about mental health.

The time for awareness has passed. The time for action is now.

This writer is a Health Communication Researcher – University of Kentucky