Mark Roberts|Caroline Mogan|Joseph Asare
An overview of Ghana’s mental health system: results from an assessment using the World Health Organization’s Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems (WHO-AIMS)
Kintampo Health Research Centre|Kintampo Health Research Centre|University of Ghana
survey provides data mental health system ghana year 2011 supplies essential planning information implementation ghanas new mental health act 846 2012 renewal ghana 5 year plan mental health contributes international knowledge base mental health provides baseline measure future progress ghana comparison data use countries addition reporting findings describe analyse deficiencies strengths ghana mental health systemwe used world health organizations assessment instrument mental health systems whoaims collect analyse report data mental health system services districts ten regions ghana data collected 2012 based year 2011in 2011 ghana lower middle income country population approximately 25 million mental health policy plan legislation place mental health legislation outdated longer line best practice standards services significantly underfunded 14 health expenditure going mental health spending much skewed towards urban areas 123 mental health outpatient facilities 3 psychiatric hospitals 7 community based psychiatric inpatient units 4 community residential facilities 1 day treatment centre well would expected ghanas economic status majority patients treated outpatient facilities psychiatric hospitals inpatient beds provided latter estimated 24 million people mental health problems 67780 ie 28 received treatment 2011 18 psychiatrists 1068 registered mental nurses 19 psychologists 72 community mental health officers 21 social workers working mental health unbalanced unbalanced emphasis nurses compared would expectedthe main strength mental health system presence long established service staff working across country outpatients departments hospitals main weakness government spending mental health low bulk services albeit sparse centred around capital city leaving much rest country almost provision service provision dominated nurses professions groups present