Rising mental health cases sign of improved help-seeking, not a new epidemic – Willingway CEO

The Chief Executive Officer of The Willingway Recovery and Rehabilitation Centre in the Ashanti region, Lydia Abena Manu Adofo, has explained that the increasing number of mental health cases in Ghana should not be viewed as a new epidemic, but rather as a positive sign of growing awareness and willingness to seek professional help.

For decades, she explained, stigma, misconceptions about mental illness being spiritual in origin, and lack of information kept patients isolated and away from health facilities, resulting in artificially low statistics. However, recent public education campaigns and advocacy efforts have changed the narrative, encouraging more people to seek help.

Mrs. Adofo made these remarks when the facility's executive management hosted Dr. Kofi Newman, a long-time supporter of the centre and a retired US-based Ghanaian land-use planner and worldbeat music producer. She expressed concern about the profile of cases her centre receives, noting that substance abuse, particularly drug-related psychosis caused by drugs like tramadol, cannabis, and cocaine, remains a major contributing factor.

The CEO appealed to government to make rehabilitation services more accessible by establishing at least one public center in each of Ghana's 16 regions, warning that the current lack of access leads to long-distance travel, financial strain, and higher rates of relapse. Dr. Kofi Newman, a guest at the event, praised Willingway's contributions to mental health care in the Ashanti region but highlighted the significant gap between treatment systems in developed countries and those in Ghana.

He emphasized the need for increased government investment in infrastructure, staffing, and logistics, as well as public-private partnerships and diaspora involvement to bridge the mental health care gap. A special award was presented to Mrs. Adofo for her dedication and leadership in providing rehabilitation services and hope to individuals with mental health conditions.