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This paper presents findings of a study that explored the challenges and coping strategies of parents of children with mental disorders. In-depth interviews were conducted with 35 parents of children with mental disorders at the Psychiatric Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Findings indicated that financial constraints, inability to secure permanent employment, and stigma were the challenges of the parents. Having faith in God and accepting their children's condition were the coping strategies adopted by the parents. However, lack of effective support system makes coping difficult for the parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating consumers' experiences into quality mental health service assessment is relevant to improve service outcomes. Despite this, limited studies have attempted to explore consumers' experiences, particularly in developing countries, such as Ghana. This paper aims to explore consumers' subjective experiences of the quality of mental health services. A qualitative method involving in-depth interviews was used to collect data from 21 consumers of mental health services. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, which is discussed using a realistic evaluation approach. The study identifies four themes, 33 inductive codes and 594 references. The themes used to interpret the verbatim narratives are the available mental health services, therapeutic interaction with the professionals, competency and skills of the professionals, and the changes experienced in the consumers' lives. The study indicates that the mental health services aim to provide a range of treatments and medications as well as recovery-oriented services, using mechanisms such as ensuring an effective therapeutic relationship and improving technical competency and skills. The contextual factors and the mechanisms have helped to achieve some changes in the lives of consumers (increased satisfaction, reduced symptoms, improved functionality, feeling normal, improved living skills and self-care, work and capabilities, and social inclusion). The study concludes that policymakers and clinicians should integrate evidence-based recovery services, principles and values into the existing mental health services. The mechanisms used to promote quality of mental health services should be strengthened, through periodic monitoring and evaluation, using approaches such as sensor data capturing, to ensure good coordination and continuity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is growing evidence that group-based mental health intervention programmes can encourage the development of peer support, psychosocial skills, and collaborative therapeutic relationships with longer lasting effects. This study explored participants' experiences of, perceived benefits of, and recommendations to improve a 10-session group-based multicomponent positive psychology intervention (mPPI)—the Inspired Life Programme (ILP)—designed to promote positive mental health and reduce symptoms of depression and negative affect in a sample of rural Ghanaian adults. Method: Face-to-face semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 18 randomly selected programme participants three months after their participation in the ILP. Data were analysed thematically with an inductive approach. Results: Participants described their experience of the ILP as a forum for growth that granted them the opportunity to introspect, practicalise and situate everyday life challenges, connect with others, and to develop a sense of mutual accountability. Results indicate that the ILP led participants to develop a stronger sense of positivity and well-being, fructify their ideas, and to cultivate stronger social networks and relationships that led to increased vocational productiveness. Participants recommended that researchers include facets of physical health promotion in the programme and invite close relations of participants to participate in the programme. Conclusion: This study provides the first insight into participants' experiences of a group-based mPPI in Ghana. These findings may provide useful information to inform the design of context-appropriate community-based mental health interventions to fit participants' specific needs, capacities, and circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the role of evidence-based public health in improving health outcomes is frequently touted, there remains a dearth of research examining the use of evidence in public health service particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, the aim of this research was to examine the use of evidence in local public health service in Ghana, a lower middle-income country. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with local health managers from 11 District Directorates of Health in Ashanti Region. Three organising themes emerged from the interview transcripts: understanding of evidence-based public health; the process of using evidence; and the value of evidence in public health practice. The study suggests that though evidence-based practice was not new to the local health managers, its application was very low. The process of using evidence commenced with making a decision about the direction of a programme which had been already prioritised and planned by other high-level actors and then various sources of information, including available research evidence, were used to justify the decision. The study has revealed that there is an urgent need for pre-service and in-service training programmes that build and maintain common skill sets and language among local public health practitioners in Ghana to accomplish evidence-based public health goals. Similarly, giving local health managers flexibility to prioritise and make decisions would result in increased uptake of evidence in local public health service. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]