The Ghana Psychological Association (GPA) has called for the allocation of more funds for the training of more mental health professionals and the expansion of mental health facilities.
This, the Association said, was necessary to increase access to proper and affordable mental health care for every citizen.
A statement signed by Dr Isaac Newman Arthur, GPA National Public Relations Officer, copied to the Ghana News Agency to mark this year’s World Mental Health Day, said the timely constitution of various boards governing the promotion of mental healthcare was essential to ensure the smooth implementation of various policies and plans needed to effectively run mental health-related programmes.
The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day is, “Make Mental Health for All a Global Priority”.
The statement said it was expected that the celebration of the Day across the globe would ignite a unified resolve to improve on mental healthcare in every country, for every person on the globe.
It said laws on various mental health issues such as attempted suicide, funding for mental health care (including the inclusion of mental health treatments on National Health Insurance) would have to be reviewed and changes made to reflect current needs and perspectives.
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“On the occasion of the world mental health day, GPA encourages its members, citizens of Ghana, and people all over the world to join in the campaign to promote mental health,” it said.
“Persons living with a mental illness must be treated with respect and dignity, and must be provided with the needed mental healthcare they deserve”.
The statement said stigmatization of people living with mental illness had no place in a modern world.
“We join hands and hearts with all other mental health organizations locally and globally to pledge our support in promoting proper and affordable mental healthcare across the globe.”
It said annually, Ghana loses about seven per cent ($5billion) of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) due to mental disorders, according to Ghana’s Mental Health Authority.
It stated that globally, each year, mental disorders such as anxiety and depression cost the global economy more than $1 trillion in lost productivity.
It said with a staggering number of more than 900million people worldwide and 3.1million Ghanaians suffering from some form of mental illness according to World Health Organization, the need for global action to improve mental healthcare across the globe needs a second major look, and an intense and consistent global action.
The statement said furthermore, more than eight million deaths per annum globally could be attributed to mental disorders.
It said this was really a pandemic, because in every part of the world, there was a rising number of cases of mental disorders, especially in low-income countries.
It said mental health-related issues were usually underestimated and neglected, with mental healthcare underfunded in many countries.
It said mental disorder, such as depression accounted for more than 80 per cent of deaths by suicide, with over 700,000 people dying by suicide every year, one person every 40 seconds.
It said suicide was the fourth leading cause of death amongst 15-19-year-olds, with majority of them suffering from some form of mental disorder.
It said notwithstanding, many mental health professionals across the globe, including dedicated professionals in Ghana, were breaking barriers and making giant strides in creating awareness and promoting mental healthcare in various parts of the world, across various difficult terrains.
The statement said over the past years, since the inception of GPA in 1996, the Association had been actively involved in empowering its members to develop skills necessary to providing mental healthcare for the citizens of Ghana, including providing psychological interventions for communities and individuals affected by various disasters in the country.
It said through sound research, advocacy and active participation in various discourses in Ghana, GPA had influenced various policies which underscores the provision of quality and affordable mental healthcare in Ghana, including policy change on sensitive issues such as the criminalization of attempted suicide.
