CHALLENGES IN INCRI:ASING ACCESS TO MENTAL HEAL m SERVICES IN COMMIINITJES IN BAWKU WEST DISTRICT

ABSTRACT

Background: Ghana as a country has witnessed different mental health regimes reflecting

prevailing global trend, from incarceration in the colonial era through to NRCD decree of

1972 and recently mental health Act 846 of 20 1 2.Critical to the Mental Health Act are the

provisions on mental health authority, mental health board, mental health fund, mental

health tribunal, regional and district committees and especially increasing access to mental

health services in communities. The study sought to explore challenges in implementing

the Mental Health Act 846 of 2012's provision of increasing access to mental health

services in communities such as Bawku West District in the Upper East Region of Ghana;

Methods: The study was descriptive qualitative and it involved 32 in-depth interviews of

stakeholders in mental health service in the Bawku West District who were purposively

sampled. The interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded into

themes using a matrix before NVIVO version 10 software to facilitate further analysis.

Framework on health seeking behaviour was used to analyse the findings of the study.

Findings: There was a general low understanding of Mental Health Act 846 of 2012; the

activities of traditional healers, stigmatization, family support, poverty, medication, mental

health education, nonoperationalisaton of mental health Act were the challenges identified

in increasing access to mental health services in the communities in the Bawku West

District. Conclusion: The study identified key stakeholders as health professionals,

assembly members, patient relatives, traditional healers, volunteers, representatives of

media and government departments and agencies. The individual Isocial factor identified

to be influencing access mental health service are activities of local healers, family support

stigmatization, poverty and mental health literacy. Institutional/system factors on the other

hand include, nonoperationalisaton of mental health Act, human resource, medication,

~portat!on. !un~!m! of mental health service and mental health literacy. Improvement

xi

of human resource. stakeholder engagement. dialogue between media and health sector,

decentralization of mental health institutions, NGO collaboration and passing of

Legislative Instrument for the mental health Act were the recommendations for the study.

Conclusion: The study identified key stakeholders as health professionals, assembly

members. patient relatives, traditional healers, volunteers, representatives of media and

government departments and agencies. The individual Isocial factor identified to be

influencing access mental health service are activities of local healers, family support

stigmatization. poverty and mental health literacy. Institutional/system factors on the other

hand include, nonoperationalisaton of mental health Act, human resource, medication,

transportation, funding of mental health service and mental health literacy. Improvement

of human resource. stakeholder engagement, dialogue between media and health sector,

decentralization of mental health institutions, NOO collaboration and passing of

Legislative Instrument for the mental health Act were the recommendations for the study.