Rebecca Akufo-Addo with other dignitaries at the summit
First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has championed mental health awareness to curb the rising socio-economic issues surrounding mental health.
Speaking at the Wholesome Mind Summit held in Accra, Mrs. Akufo-Addo impressed upon experts and stakeholders to join efforts towards mental health awareness creation, as statistics showed a rise in mental health issues.
“According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2023, 450 million people globally suffered from mental health,” she said.
She further encouraged attendees to prioritise mental health in small ways whether at home or at the work place, in order to improve productivity.
The event was organised by Vint & Aletheia Attorneys and Consultants in collaboration with stakeholders such as the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, IPMC, and the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC).
The event was to create the platform to promote mental health awareness and advocate for the better wellbeing of individuals.
Speaking about mental health in a panel discussion, psychiatrist and director at the Pantang Hospital, Dr. Frank Baning, explained that early signs to identify when someone is struggling with their mental health is a change in behaviour from their usual self, their thinking, and their emotions, which is usually different from what you know them to be.
He said, “Any deviation from the norm you have known them could be a sign of progressive challenges the individual has not shared.”
He again added that conditions like chronic fatigue may not meet the criteria for mental illness but can go a long way to affect an individual’s wellbeing.
He also explained that people with mental illnesses are more likely to develop physical health problems than the general population.
By Florence Adom Asamoah & Ransford Wletsu