Over 3 million Ghanaians living with mild mental health conditions — GloMeF CEO warns
Raphael Godlove Ahenu, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Media Foundation, has revealed that more than three million Ghanaians are living with mild mental health conditions, while over 600,000 people are battling severe mental health disorders.
Mr. Ahenu made the disclosure during the close-out and learning summit of the “Resilient City for Adolescents” (RCA) project held at Fiapre in the Sunyani West Municipality of the Bono Region.
According to him, current research highlights the growing burden of mental health issues in Ghana, stressing that the situation should be treated as a national concern.
“Research is showing the scale of Ghana’s mental health burden, and this is a clear indication that mental health must be treated as a national priority,” he stated.
He attributed the rising cases largely to stress and worsening socio-economic pressures, adding that many affected individuals continue to suffer quietly because of stigma and inadequate access to mental healthcare services.
“In fact, many people are suffering in silence due to stigmatisation and limited access to care,” he noted.
Mr. Ahenu explained that the Global Media Foundation, in partnership with the Indigenous Women Empowerment Network and Citizens Watch Ghana, secured a £300,000 grant from Fondation Botnar through Ecorys UK to implement the three-year RCA project in the Sunyani and Sunyani West municipalities.
The initiative, supported by partners under the Healthy Cities for Adolescents Initiative, aimed to empower young people to actively participate in social, political, and economic activities within their communities.
The summit also served as an opportunity to assess the implementation of the project, share lessons learnt, highlight best practices, and showcase innovations led by adolescents.
Mr. Ahenu further urged the government to speed up the passage of the Mental Health Bill into law, arguing that delays were undermining efforts to improve mental healthcare and protect vulnerable groups.
“It’s worrying that the government isn’t paying much attention to the passage of the bill,” he said, adding that Ghana currently has only 38 psychiatric doctors serving the entire population despite the increasing number of people facing mental health challenges.
He noted that passing the bill would help ensure adequate resources are allocated for the training, recruitment, and deployment of mental health professionals across the country.
Mr. Ahenu also appealed to families to pay closer attention to the emotional and psychological well-being of their children, warning that many parents ignore early signs of mental distress until conditions worsen.
“The behaviour of some children isn’t in order, but their families have not taken notice to help them seek medical care,” he said, stressing that early intervention remains essential in preventing mild mental health conditions from escalating into severe disorders.
He additionally called for stronger collaboration among schools, healthcare professionals, and community organisations to provide timely support for young people and advocated greater youth involvement in decision-making processes.
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