Medical practitioner, Kwasi Antwi Koranteng has called for adequate sensitization and public awareness on mental health in the country.
He bemoaned the low level of education amongst Ghanaians on issues of mental health.
He also expressed regret that mental health problems were surging in the country and called for concerted efforts to tackle it. According to him, depression among women because of broken homes, and marital problems were also high.
Speaking on Plan B FM ‘Apomuden Fie’ with Nana Konadu Okontie as part of the celebration of World Mental Health Day on Sunday October 10, 2021, he urged authorities to intensify public education to help curb mental disorders.
“Mental health disorders (particularly depression and substance abuse) are associated with more than 90% of all cases of suicide; however, suicide results from many complex sociocultural factors is more likely to occur during periods of socioeconomic, family and individual crisis (e.g. loss of a loved one, unemployment, sexual orientation, difficulties with developing one’s identity, disassociation from one’s community or other social/belief group,” he remarked.
Dr. Koranteng indicated that another cause of the upsurge of the medical condition was the excessive intake of alcohol and other substances.
“One of the common methods of coping with stress, which can have a further negative effect on both physical and mental, is excessive use of alcohol and other drugs,” he further pointed.
“It is also a fact that alcohol and substance use can increase during periods of disaster and pandemic, however, such increases do not necessarily return to normal levels post-disaster, overtime,” he added.
Dr. Koranteng also pushing for the decriminalization of suicide in Ghana.
In Ghana, the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29) indicates that a person who plans to commit suicide commits a first-degree felony whether or not the suicide was successful.
This law rather encourages such persons to take every measure not to fail in their acts and also discourages suicidal persons from reporting suicidal crisis early enough for help.
Dr. Koranteng said it is time Ghana joins other countries to decriminalize suicide.
“If they survive the attempt, what happens? They are treated as criminals. We need rather to be doing away with the criminal aspect of attempted suicide and make sure that the people who have suicidal tendencies receive the healthcare that they require,” he said.
He therefore, appealed to the general public to report cases of mental illness and also support patients to seek medical attention.
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