The Western Regional Mental Health Sub-committee in a two day capacity building programme has educated teachers in the region on the new Mental Health Act.
The act is aimed at improving mental healthcare in Ghana by refocusing on the provision of mental healthcare services and combating stigmatization and discrimination against mentally ill people in schools and the country at large.
[contextly_sidebar id=”j9u0L8BOQ2PrexF8C273KRwyj0RD8qB6″]Over 100 school health programme coordinators in the region were taken through the provisions of the act and how to provide care and support for pupils who are mentally unfit in schools.
Speaking to Citi News, the Western Regional Mental Health Coordinator, Charles Kwame Vigbedor, cited teachers as being in a strong position to identify unstable mental conditions early.
“Teachers are in a better position to identify early unusual behaviors in pupils that may lead to unstable mental health conditions. Building their capacity to identify these signs and equip them with the provisions made for those children in the act (ACT 846) will help them take the right steps to seek early treatment for those signs.”
One participant expressed appreciation for the training saying, “I did not know that as schools and teachers we owe it a responsibility not to spread the confidential information on a pupil’s health condition to others, even among ourselves as teachers unreasonably. This we often thought it was a normal thing to do. But after this training, I’ve been equipped with how to handle issues of this nature and to avoid stigmatization and discrimination.”
Mr. Vigbedor also hinted at more sensitization workshops that will be carried out for other stakeholders such as institutional managers, health workers, the media among others, to drum home the fact that catering for mentally ill persons is the collective responsibility of all.
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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana