Poverty can lead to mental illness - Chief Psychiatrist

Dr Gordon Donnir, Head of Department for Psychiatry, Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, said poverty formed part of the social causes of mental illness.

He said poverty had a stressful effect on brain functioning, and this affected the brain cells at the molecular level of the brain.

He described stress as the body’s response to events in an environment, adding that “with mental illnesses like any non-communicable disease, there are broad range of factors that act in a complex interactive means to pre-dispose an individual to develop the illness”.

Dr Donnir said this at a press conference on World Mental Health Day, organised by Creative Storm, Christian Health of Ghana, and other partners, aimed at creating awareness on issues relating to mental health.

He said other factors leading to the problem were biological factors including genetics, nutritional, biochemical factors, and infections of the brain.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Dr Donnir said “with school children one of the key factors of mental health is the decline in their academic performance”.

“Once you see this you can identify that the individual is going through a mental problem,” he added.

On preventive measures; he said the prevention of mental health could start from time of conception, pregnancy and delivery and, therefore, improved obstetric care and people attending ante natal and going by their doctors’ advice were paramount.

Dr. Kwesi Owusu, Executive Directive of Creative Storm Network, said there was a need for the country to take care of its human capital, as unhealthy people could be unproductive and this affected the country’s development.

He said a number of activities lined up to observe the Mental Health Week includes documentaries and radio discussions.

The International Community observes World Mental Health Day on October 10, each year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues and mobilising efforts in support of mental health.

This year’s celebration is focused on those living with schizophrenia, and the families and friends who help them to cope.