US EditionPublished • loading... • Updated
Ghana's mentally ill trapped between prayer and care
More than 21% of Ghanaians face mental disorders amid limited psychiatric care and widespread belief in spiritual causes, fueling reliance on prayer camps despite legal bans on harmful practices.
- On a recent Friday, worshippers flooded Achimota Forest, where a dishevelled woman in her early thirties brought to Prophet Elisha Ankrah remained motionless as prayers continued.
- Stigma drives families toward spiritual healing, as a 2022 survey found 60 percent link mental illness to witchcraft or curses, with Kingsley Adjei saying `You don't treat spirits with tablets.`
- Clinically, the Mental Health Authority notes just over 80 psychiatrists serve over 35 million people, and depression and anxiety have surged after Covid-19, increasing demand on limited services.
- Harmful practices like shackling persist despite a 2017 ban, with reports of chained patients and psychiatrists warning these can cause trauma or death.
- Authorities are training faith leaders while the MHA says it has begun outreach to ensure humane spiritual care, and Lady-Ann Essuman notes courts can order treatment though many do not use this option.
Insights by Ground AI
22 Articles
22 Articles
'What doctors cannot cure, God can': Ghana's mentally ill trapped between prayer and care
·Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Read Full ArticleCoverage Details
Total News Sources22
Leaning Left1Leaning Right4Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution59% Center
Bias Distribution
- 59% of the sources are Center
59% Center
C 59%
R 33%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
