Cape Coast, Dec. 18, GNA – Persons Living with Mental Health Conditions (MHCs) must be helped to rediscover themselves through extensive psychosocial support, Psykforum, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), has said.
The NGO commended mental health nurses for the great job they were doing but said there was the need for them to go the extra mile to ensure that people with MHCs were well accepted and included in society.
Ms Vivian Ama Aubyn, a Board Member of Psykforum, said creating a disability-inclusive health system and providing basic Mental health and psychosocial support was critical in ensuring that stigmatization was reduced and quality health care was available for all.
She was speaking at a capacity building workshop for Community Mental Health Practitioners organised by the NGO committed to improving living conditions and projecting rights of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and MHCs.
The training formed part of the Social and Behavioural Change Communication and Stigma Reduction for Mental Health and Disability Inclusion (SBCC) project under the Ghana Somubi Dwumadzi project.
It was funded by the UKAID, with Hope for Future Generation (HFFG), an NGO, as its implementing partner.
Ms Aubyn said the unmet health care needs of people could aggravate their mental health conditions and make them experience the severest form of their conditions or die untimely.
“We are doing well, but we must do more. Let’s reach out to the greater number of our patients, encourage their families on the need to take them to health facilities, find time for them and walk them through their healing process gradually,” she advised.
Ms Cecilia Ama Sam, a Mental Health officer, said helping patients to connect with other family and community members, or helping them deal more effectively with personal challenges or practical problems, could have great benefits in reducing their distress and suffering.
“Let’s not just focus on giving them their medication, the way we receive them, talk to them and allow them to feel free around us is a good healing process and that must be encouraged,” she added.
She urged the practitioners to reach out to families, friends and all well-meaning persons close to mental health patients to sensitize them on the need to do their bits in releasing patients of their psychological burdens.
“Some caregivers refuse to bring these people to the health facilities, we have to talk to them to help us in the right against discrimination or stigma, let’s get the needed resources and information and help bring them out of their homes,” Ms Sam said.
Mr Augustus Andrews, a participant, said it was time health Practitioners helped change the narrative, adding that “it’s true that our duty is not just to administer drugs, we will go the extra mile to see happy patients.”
He thanked the NGO for what he described as rich training, adding that more of such could serve as a model and guide for what is to be done.
GNA