Submission ID 131811
| Issue/Objective | In Ghana, over 2.3 million people experience mild to moderate mental health disabilities. Mental health conditions are often connected to the social determinants of health (SoDH), including income and education. Accordingly, communities experiencing inequities are also more likely to face mental health challenges. Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) is a well-established community development strategy that provides services to people experiencing inequities, including people with disabilities; yet there is lack of evidence exploring how CBR programs can support mental health. We explored how CBR programs can better support the needs of people with mental health disabilities in Ghana. |
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| Methodology/Approach | We used a Community-Based Participatory Action Research Approach to conduct this research in Kumasi, Ghana. The first author partnered with F.S.T. Empowerment Program (FSTEP), a local CBR Program. Researchers with lived experience of mental health issues were trained on qualitative research methods and conducted 15 semi-structured interviews with FSTEP attendees with mental health issues. We analyzed interviews using a Reflexive Thematic Analysis. |
| Results | Participants indicated that FSTEP supported their mental health by helping them to access the SoDH. Throughout the interviews, participants touched upon all the SoDH, with nearly all participants referencing income, education, and social inclusion as the most critical areas of support from FSTEP. However, participants still indicated needing more consistent or increased support from FSTEP. Participants also indicated a desire for FSTEP facilitators to reduce mental health stigma they experienced from their friends, families, and community members. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | Our findings demonstrate how CBR programs can act as a mechanism to disrupt inequities that both produce and perpetuate mental health issues by providing access to the SoDH. However, there is a need for more exploration into funding models, either from the government or international agencies, that enable CBR programs to provide more consistent financial or employment support. Future research should also explore educational interventions that are feasible for CBR programs to undertake, including how CBR programs can best partner with existing de-stigmatization efforts run by non-profit or government agencies. These areas of research can help CBR programs improve support to people experiencing mental health issues and play a role in improving access to the SoDH. |
| Presenters and Affiliations | Caitlin Piccone Queen's University Heather M. Aldersey Queen's University Vida Kasore Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Portia Marfo N/A Patience Lariko N/A Luciana Aklassu-Ganan Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Ebenezer Dassah Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Janet Jull Carleton University |
