The Ghana Armed Forces, GAF, has organized a maiden men’s mental health awareness week at the Burma camp in Accra. The programme aims to promote good mental health in the military and also encourage service men to speak up on issues affecting their mental health, to enable them to get the needed support as early as possible
Mental health is a subject that is hardly discussed in our part of the world even though it remains one of the most devastating conditions of human race.
A number of reasons could be attributed to it with the most obvious been stigmatization. Research conducted by Gaebel et al has shown that individuals with mental illness are subjected to stigma and treated less favorably than others and the impacts are far-reaching leading many to developing suicidal tendencies yet avoiding to seek help.
The Ghana armed forces mental health cases is no different, since 2017 and by the close of 2019 a total of 614 cases were recorded for both males and females with alcohol use disorder at the top of the list.
A senior clinical health psychologist at the 37 military hospital, Madam Anita Paddy says the fact that one has not been diagnosed with mental disorder doesn’t mean the individual is mentally well.
The deputy chief clinical psychologist, therapy and wellness department at the 37 military hospital. Lt col Alphonsus Francis Tenteh called on the public to seek for assistance and help stop the stigma surrounding mental health patients.
The Chief of Defense staff, LT Gen Thomas Oppong-Peprah entreated the department of medical services to pull all resources available to embark on a vigorous drive to reduce mental health cases in the armed forces.
The mental health awareness celebration is under the theme “Promoting the mental health of men in the gender sensitive armed forces”
