Health facilities in the Upper East Region recorded 611 mental health cases in the first quarter of 2025, according to the Regional Mental Health Coordinator, Edem Quarshie Ameglah.
The reported cases include bipolar disorders, 44 cases of depression, 58 alcohol-related disorders, and various other mental health conditions.
Speaking on A1 Radio and monitored by ClassNewsroom, Mr. Ameglah cautioned that these figures likely represent only a fraction of the true situation.
“These are just the reported cases. The actual number may be much higher, but people are either unwilling or unable to seek help at formal health facilities,” he noted.
He attributed the low reporting and delayed treatment to widespread stigma and a preference for faith-based healing centres over medical care.
“People often ignore early signs of mental fatigue or distress. Instead of going to a hospital, they seek help from faith-based healers, which delays proper diagnosis and treatment,” he explained.
Mr. Ameglah stressed the urgent need for intensified public education on mental health, calling on communities to treat mental illness as a medical condition rather than a spiritual or moral failing.
“Until we change the narrative and see mental health just like any other health condition, more people will continue to suffer in silence,” he said.
He also appealed to traditional leaders, churches, and local organisations to join efforts to demystify mental health and promote early medical intervention
-Classfmonline
