Ghana urged to mitigate trauma of disaster victims

Ghana has been asked to initiate remedial actions to ease mental health impact of disasters as the country is most likely to encounter more coastal flooding.

The UN is predicting increased flooding as the consequences of climate change.

According to the United Nations in Ghana (2015), climate change is likely to adversely affect hundreds of millions of people through increased coastal flooding, reductions in water supplies, increased malnutrition and increased health impacts.

The government has, therefore, been advised to commit more resources into promoting psychological resiliency and work to alleviate mental health trauma of debacles on communities.

“The increasing intensity of disaster events is likely to significantly affect the psychological well-being of both individuals and the community as a whole,” BasicNeeds Ghana June 2015 policy brief said.

The policy brief seeks to address the effects of disaster on mental health in the country.

The focus of BasicNeeds-Ghana is to deepen efforts at addressing mental health and poverty of individuals and families affected by mental disorders.

The pro mental health organisation said government ought to take action to encourage research on rates and manifestations of psychological trauma in the country and train more counselors in crisis intervention.

It also urged government to incorporate mental health concerns into existing disaster response plans, develop a specific disaster mental health plan and inject resources into the expansion of access to everyday community-based mental health services.

Flooding has become common in the last two decades with more than 600,000 people affected, the report said adding in Ghana devastating floods and fire in last June killed more than 150 people and displaced hundreds.

Studies have found that vast majority of individuals would display symptoms of stress immediately following a disaster event and depending on the nature of and proximity to the event bout 30 per cent will experience long-term impacts.

According to the World Health Organisation, in emergency settings the primary focus among other things ought to focus on supporting victims to access mental health services while experts should be available for those who are in need of such support.