An appeal has been made to the government to focus its attention on mental health care. Madam Ruth Okyere of the Mind Freedom Ghana, an NGO committed to mental health issues, said there should be adequate budgetary allocation for that. This, she noted, had become necessary in the wake of recent suicide cases in the … Read more
Swimming lessons may help to save the lives of thousands of autistic children, scientists claim. Young sufferers are 160 times more likely to drown than their peers, a new study suggests. Many tend to wander around unsupervised, becoming drawn in by the apparent serenity of a pool, experts believe. Lead author Dr Guohua Li, of … Read more
The 25-year-old Evelyn Boakye who was inhumanely treated by her supervisor at the Abelenkpe branch of Marwako is suffering from withdrawal symptoms, her lawyer has said. According to Francis Xavier Sosu, his client appears to be suffering from some emotional and psychological trauma and has visited the hospital over it. “She seems to be experiencing … Read more
It was one Saturday afternoon, as I was relaxing on my bed and decided to follow some discussions on a High School Group chat on my phone. I got so engrossed in the discussion on the recent suicide committed by some youth in this past few weeks being passionately discussed. As much as many members … Read more
When John Legend learned that his wife, Chrissy Teigen, had been diagnosed with postpartum depression, he started doing his research. As a man, “you don’t know internally what it feels like,” Legend told People. “You should read about it and understand what it is and really just be there to help.” In an essay for … Read more
Depression, also known as clinical depression and major depressive disorder (MDD), is one of the least understood disorders of our time. People have a tendency to disregard what they can’t physically see as an occasional mood-swing or a short-lived bout of despondency, nothing a tub of chocolate ice cream and a good night’s sleep can’t … Read more
By Ben Ofosu Appiah In the last couple of weeks, 4 cases of suicide have been reported in the news with three of the victims being teenagers. Four cases of suicides in two weeks, (there may be an unreported case somewhere) this must raise alarm bells about the state of mental health care in the … Read more
The Mental Health Authority has decided to establish a temporary helpline for persons contemplating suicide. The authority is, as well, in discussions with telecommunication companies for the establishment of permanent toll free numbers for the same purpose. In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer of the authority, Dr … Read more
“Suicide does not mean there was no killer”- unanimous My roommate woke me up this morning and told me about a suicide news he received via whatsapp. Immediately, I yelled, “not again”. Just this year, In less than 3 weeks, two university students have committed suicide and the question I ask is “who killed them”. … Read more
Syrian children terrified by shelling and airstrikes are showing signs of severe emotional distress and could grow up to be a generation “lost to trauma,” Save the Children warned Monday. Interviews with more than 450 children and adults showed a high level of psychological stress among children, with many suffering from frequent bedwetting or developing … Read more
Eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia, affect a small but substantial number of women in their 40s and 50s, UK research suggests. The study, involving more than 5,000 women, found just over 3% reported having an eating disorder. Some said they had experienced it since their teens, others developed it for the first time in … Read more
The Stanbic Bank Global Market Unit has presented GH¢ 20, 000 and other items to the Hope Setters Autism Centre at Tema as part of the Unit’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. The items presented to the Centre included antiseptics, toilet rolls, crayons, washable children paint, children puzzle game boards, children’s scented bubbles, and Play … Read more
Typical of every developing nation that is making strenuous efforts to hit the developed mark, one of the dreadful imps that are likely to militate its progress is political fanaticism. Yet, the tendency to underestimate this ruinous devil and give it room to freely operate is that which remains a major bump to dealing with … Read more
Anti-graft campaigner Martin Amidu has explained why he is so elated to vote on December 7, the first time in eight years after he was ‘disenfranchised’ in 2012. The former Attorney General under NDC administration recalled his ordeal in the hands of the Bureau of National Investigations on December 6, 2012, which got him traumatized … Read more
The findings, published in the journal Stress & Health recently, was based on a study involving 203 people, indicate that the damage from thinking over and over again about conflicts between job and personal life is likely to cost both your mental and physical health. In the study, led by Kelly D. Davis of OSU’s … Read more
Very stressful events affect the brains of girls and boys in different ways, a Stanford University study suggests. A part of the brain linked to emotions and empathy, called the insula, was found to be particularly small in girls who had suffered trauma. But in traumatised boys, the insula was larger than usual. This could … Read more
Women become brainier when they are at their most fertile – and their brains then shrink during period, according to a recent study. A brain area central to forming human memories, moods and emotions was shown to increase in size in parallel with increases in a key sex hormone. Investigators researching the connection between hormones … Read more
A GNA feature by Dennis Peprah Mental illness, according to medicine, is a chronic disorder diagnosed, most often by a psychiatrist, of a behavioral or mental pattern that may cause suffering, or poor ability to function in life. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitting, or occur as a single episode. Many disorders have … Read more
* They found they increased the risk of harm regardless of someone’s age * But some scientists argue the findings and say they are beneficial Healthy people who take antidepressants are twice as likely to become suicidal and violent, researchers claim. The first ever review of trials of antidepressants taken by healthy adults, who have … Read more
Dr. Akwasi Osei, Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Authority has revealed that more that 2.3 million of Ghana’s population is suffering from various mental challenges. He observes that the number constitutes approximately 10% of the country’s population indicating that the situation is worse especially with latest findings suggesting an increase in the number … Read more