Improving Ghana's mental health care through task shifting – psychiatrists and health policy directors views

Abstract

BackgroundCurrently, Ghana has only twelfth psychiatrists in active service providing for the mental health needs of a population of nearly 25 million people. Ghana has therefore adopted a system of task-shifting to address the critical shortage of psychiatrists.AimTo examine the perception of psychiatrists and health policy directors about the government's policy to expand metal health care delivery in Ghana through a system of task-shifting from psychiatrists to community mental health workers (CMHWs).MethodsA self-administered semi-structured questionnaire was developed and administered to 11 psychiatrists and 29 health policy directors.ResultsOnly one psychiatrist and 3 (10.3%) health policy directors reported they were not aware of task-shifting within Ghana's mental health delivery system. Ten (91.1%) psychiatrists and 23 (79.3%) health policy directors were aware of a policy of the Government of Ghana to improve on the human resource base within mental health through a system task-shifting. Overall, 5 (45.5%) of the psychiatrists and 9 (31%) health policy directors perceived there are some resistance to the implementation of a policy of task shifting including resistance from traditional and spiritual healers, some psychiatrists, some community psychiatric nurses and psychologists. The majority of psychiatrists and health policy directors were of the view that CMHWs should be allowed to assess, diagnose and treat most of the common mental disorders.ConclusionPsychiatrists and health policy directors in Ghana support Governments policy to expand on mental health care delivery through a system of task-shifting despite their knowledge of resistance from certain professionals.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.