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This article investigates the socio-economic impact of mental illness on individuals and their caregivers in Ghana, whose plight is dire due to poverty, stigma and discrimination. Seeking to illuminate participants' lived experiences, the study is based on grassroots, first-hand narratives from 12 individuals receiving psychiatric care and 7 of their caregivers. Including caregivers fills a major research gap because they have not been studied extensively in Ghana or Africa, despite facing similar challenges including financial burdens and stigma. We conclude with recommendations for improving government support and social work practice in the context of mental illness in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite advances in human rights and treatments, stigma toward individuals diagnosed with mental illness is common across the African continent. This article explores experiences of stigma and social exclusion among individuals diagnosed with mental illness and receiving treatment in a psychiatric facility in Ghana. The study, based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews generated the following themes: beliefs in spiritual causes of mental illness; spirituality as a coping mechanism; mistreatment and abuse. The findings highlight the significance of social exclusion and spirituality as the main roots of stigma; also the importance of awareness-raising as tools for anti-stigma work in the global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proverbs are an important feature of any language worldwide. In Africa, for instance, people in their everyday conversations use proverbs to add special effects and flavour. However, the inclusion of proverbs in speech goes beyond mere decoration. As a repository of African knowledge and culture, proverbs serve as a medium for educating present and future generations about society's cultural values, beliefs, and ethics. In this powerful role, proverbs may have significant effects on speakers and their listeners. While these effects may be positive, in terms of their references to certain groups of people, proverbs may have telling effects. In this paper, we examined samples of Ghanaian Akan proverbs on mental and physical disabilities and their meanings, using critical discourse analysis and guided by labeling theory. We conclude that Akan proverbs predominantly label people with disabilities negatively, thereby leading to their stigmatization, marginalization, and exclusion. We recommend using proverbs with negative connotations for people with disabilities as a tool to educate society on how not to treat people with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health stigma is an integral part of the problems faced by individuals diagnosed with mental illness in developing countries. Though Ghana enacted a new Mental Health Law (Act 846) in 2012 with emphasis on community-based care, concerns persist as social workers tend to distance themselves from the field. For CBC to succeed, social workers must opt for a career in the mental healthcare field. The question that arises is how willing social work students are to pursue a career in mental health. The paper explores the perceptions and attitudes of Graduate Social Work students towards mental illness and people living with mental illness. Socio-cultural and religious beliefs about mental illness continue to dominate perceptions about mental illness and fuel stigma. Many social work students are reluctant or unwilling to work with persons living with mental illness due to such beliefs and negative personal experiences. Opportunities to engage positively with persons living with mental illness, and inclusion of core courses in mental health in social work curricular could pave the way for minimising stigma and getting more professionals interested in a career in mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research on the stigma associated with mental illness and the portrayal of mental health issues through government-owned print media in Ghana from 2003 to 2012. The study examined newspapers' use of derogatory language to describe patients with mental health illness, as well as the depiction of mentally ill persons as unpredictable, dangerous, dirty and nuisance in communities.

This article will examine changes in Ghana's mental health legislation with a focus on children. The goal is to determine the recognition and rights the law guarantees children with mental disorders. Whereas the first mental health legislation in 1888 did not recognize children with mental illness, this situation changed gradually, starting with the Mental Health Decree of 1972. The Mental Health Act, 20 1 2 (MHA), however, provides the most comprehensive set of rights to date for children with mental illness. This article argues that the MHA meets the international standards set in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Further, it reinforces rights that the Persons with Disability Act, 2006, offers all Ghanaians. The authors caution that, because the MHA became law only in May 2012, it is too early to assess its implementation and efficacy. However, if the past is anything to go by, this article speculates that lack of resources may inhibit the effective implementation of the new act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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