Abstract
BackgroundApplying global estimates of the prevalence of mental disorders suggests that about 2.4 million Ghanaians have some form of psychiatric distress. Despite the facts that relatively little community-based treatment is available (only 18 psychiatrists are known to actively practice in Ghana), and that mental disorders are more concentrated among the incarcerated, there is no known research on mental disorders in Ghana prisons, and no forensic mental health services available to those who suffer from them. This study sought to determine the rate of mental distress among prisoners in Ghana.MethodsThis cross-sectional research used the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale to estimate the rates and severity of non-specific psychological distress among a stratified probability sample of 89 male and 11 female prisoners in one of the oldest correctional facilities in the country. Fisher’s exact test was used to determine the rates of psychological distress within the study population.ResultsAccording to the Kessler Scale, more than half of all respondents had moderate to severe mental distress in the four weeks preceding their interviews. Nearly 70% of inmates with only a primary education had moderate to severe mental distress. Though this was higher than the rates among inmates with more education, it exceeded the rates for those with no education.ConclusionsThe high rate of moderate to severe mental distress among the inmates in this exploratory study should serve as baseline for further studies into mental disorders among the incarcerated persons in Ghana. Future research should use larger samples, include more prison facilities, and incorporate tools that can identify specific mental disorders.
Highlights
Applying global estimates of the prevalence of mental disorders suggests that about 2.4 million Ghanaians have some form of psychiatric distress
With only 18 psychiatrists known to be actively practicing in Ghana and an estimated 2.4 million Ghanaians suffering from at least one mental disorder, there is a significant gap between need and the availability of mental health services in the country [2,3,4]
Because the inmates with National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) registration were found in this study to have less mental distress than those who were not registered, more could be done to increase enrollment in the national health insurance program, which is available to all eligible inmates
Summary
Applying global estimates of the prevalence of mental disorders suggests that about 2.4 million Ghanaians have some form of psychiatric distress. World Health Organization has estimated that about 650,000 Ghanaians (or 3% of the population) have a severe form of mental disorder [2]. With only 18 psychiatrists known to be actively practicing in Ghana and an estimated 2.4 million Ghanaians suffering from at least one mental disorder, there is a significant gap between need and the availability of mental health services in the country [2,3,4]. Many other individuals who are believed to be experiencing a form of mental disorder are sent or referred to non-traditional healing or treatment facilities known as “prayer camps”, or to other alternative African traditional healing centers. Because of the limited number of public psychiatric facilities and the large number of people who need treatment, the non-traditional treatment centers see the majority of patients who need care in Ghana
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