Psychologist calls on government to address gaps in mental health delivery

Mr. Innocent Funn, National Clinical Psychologist of the SOS Children’s Village, says the country needs to address gaps in mental healthcare delivery by providing modern facilities across the country.

Mr. Funn said access to quality and affordable mental healthcare would ensure the highest standard of mental health and well-being of the citizens.

He said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of a sensitization programme on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS) for Chemu Senior High School students held by the YAH-Salem Foundation.

The foundation is embarking on a mental health awareness campaign in SHS in Tema aimed at educating the youth on mental health issues.

The clinical psychologist touched on the need for more logistics and infrastructure investment in the sector to improve the quality of care and promote the human rights of people living with mental health conditions.

He said having the needed modern facilities with the appropriate logistics would make it easy for mental health specialists to give optimum healthcare services to mental patients.

He said it was important to identify the mentally challenged persons on the street and expose them to professional treatment to create a resilient society.

He stressed the fact that good mental health was important at any age, saying that some causes of mental illnesses included genetic, environmental exposure, before and after birth issues, and altered chemistry in the brain, among others.

Mr. Funn called on Ghanaians to seek early treatment for their mental issues and also treat mentally challenged persons with respect and dignity.