Jilted lovers end up in Psychiatric hospital

Within the past five years, a total of about 5,891 patients with various mentally related ailments were admitted to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital alone.

Of the number, 70 percent of the problems are partner-related. The partner-related problems include infidelity, withdrawal of love, insufficient financial support and physical assault.

A survey conducted by 'The Spectator' at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital revealed that the major causes of admissions at the hospital were Depression, Personality Disorder, Hypomania, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse, Undifferentiated Psychosis and Bi-polar Affective Disorder.

Dr J.B. Asare, head of the hospital, in a chat with "The Spectator" said that in 1996 for example, 1,029 women were admitted to the hospital as a result of mentally-related problems.

In 1997, the number of women admitted, increased to 1,048, while in 1998, it shot up again to 1,132. The year 1999 saw the figure dropping from 1,132 to 1,069 but shot up again to 1,613 in the year 2000.

Other major causes of admission at the hospital were schizophrenia, acute organic psychosis (confusion due to brain affected diseases), epilepsy and dementia (age memory failure).