The Dufia of Abutia Kpota in the Volta region of Ghana, Togbe Tsali IV, has urged the public, especially parents, to desist from stigmatising people with mental health issues.
The reverend traditional ruler made this statement at a forum on mental health at the Accra City Hotel on Tuesday, May 30.
Togbe Tsali IV opined that stigmatisation against families and individuals in our communities poses more danger than the condition itself.
He added that mental health issues these days come in so many forms and affect almost every household in the world. To this, he said there is no need to stigmatise a family which is suffering in any form.
He proposed that all stakeholders come together to fight this canker. He believes that educating the public on issues of mental health and the effects of stigmatising patients will be the best way to curb this menace.
The guest for the occasion, Dr. Spirit Clinton, who was overwhelmed by the response from the people, spoke to Nation 1 TV.
She said mental health impacts every single thing we experience in our lives as people.
She advised that Ghanaians should be more concerned about how to fight for their mental health. She added her voice to the call to eschew stigmatisation against people living with this condition.
