The Tema General Hospital and the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate have marked the 2023 World Mental Health Day with a float through some principal streets in Tema to educate motorists and pedestrians on mental health. Ms. Gertrude Etornam Lamor, Principal Nursing Officer at the Tema General Hospital Mental Unit, speaking to the Ghana News Agency during the street procession, emphasised the need to increase awareness on mental health. According to Ms. Lamor, as part of their duties, they make routine home visits to clients and members of the community to check on them, see how they’re doing, and see if they’re following their medication schedules. They also talk to the patient’s immediate family about the progress of treatment. The principal nursing officer highlighted that stigmatisation of people with mental disabilities begins at home before it spreads to the community, and as part of their home visits, they educate close relatives so they can understand that the sickness is not communicable and be able to relate to and live well with them. She said that people with these issues are separated from feeding and washing together in restrooms. She said that mostly when people get the condition, their opinions are not regarded anymore, not taken care of, and disrespected, but families need to understand that there’s help available for mental health patients; however, they need to play a role in client recovery, and the stigma will be reduced. The community needs to also understand that mental illness can happen to anybody; it’s not in respect of persons, so anybody going through the ailment needs to be shown love and care like any other physical ailment, and like any other disease, mental illness can be managed and people will become stable. She revealed that once a year, mental health institutions, as part of their mandate, liaise with security personnel, doctors, and psychiatrists to bus nomads on the streets for institutional care. A Medical Officer at the Social Health Department, who took part in the exercise, pleaded with the public to desist from stigmatisation, especially for people who have recovered from mental illness, as it could make them depressed or trigger the condition. She said mental health did not only involve people roaming on the streets with dirty and tattered clothes and that not all wounds are visible. Emphasising that education and inquiries on mental health were easily accessible to the public at the Tema General Hospital. Mr. Pious Tay, Mental Health Coordinator for the Tema Metro Health Directorate, said mental health was the outward manifestation of sound interpersonal and intrapersonal interaction with environmental implications. He explained that for one to exhibit good mental health, they need to show the 360 effects, which means being able to express joy in times of happiness and sadness in times of unpleasant situations. He stated that having a positive self-image and self-acceptance helps improve mental health because they will not be bothered or worried about what people say about them. He added that being able to move in groups and converse among their peers is a sign of good mental health. ‘When you notice that that one person is always isolated and does not converse with friends, don’t ignore the person but rather advise the person to see the school counsellor or mental health professional,’ he said. Mr. Tay also encouraged the public that a clean and serene environment improves their mental health, so they should do well to keep their environment tidy and stop stigmatisation among themselves to enable healthy mental health growth.
Source: Ghana News Agency