Findings from a study conducted by the ReFinD Research Initiative, ISSER, have indicated that most mobile money agents in Accra are battling hidden mental health struggles.

With a sample population of 800 MoMo vendors between June and July last year across Accra, the study found that almost half (48%) of them show signs of at least one mental health disorder. Many have depression, anxiety, or high stress

“From June to July 2025, we surveyed over 800 mobile money agents across Greater Accra using clinically validated screening tools. The results were sobering: 48% met screening thresholds for at least one common mental disorder: 38% for depression, 32% for anxiety, and 30% for high psychological distress”, the study indicated.

One of the major highlights of the report is that these MoMo agents have exceeded the average rate for mental health issues; thus, they experience depression and other mental health problems at a higher rate than the general population. However, despite these psychological struggles, they always show up for work.

“These rates exceed Ghana’s general population, where depression prevalence is approximately 25% (Amu et al., 2021). But perhaps more striking was what agents didn’t do: they didn’t stay home.

Most agents are self-employed or work on commission, where no work means no income. So they show up every day, even when struggling. This phenomenon, known as presenteeism, creates a different cost. Agents with higher distress scores showed lower on-the-job performance: more errors, slower service, and reduced ability to handle difficult customers,” the study added.

Aside from presenteeism, most of these MoMo agents prioritise survival over health care, as many rely on energy drinks to get through the day.

“We also found that about 30% of agents spend significant sums on painkillers, energy drinks, and herbal remedies just to get through the workday, survival tactics rather than health investments”, the study revealed.

What’s driving the distress?

Mobile money agents who rely solely on mobile money for their income tend to be more stressed and mentally burdened than those who have other businesses to support them financially.

“When agents rated stress across life domains, mobile money business stress dominated; most rated it 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale. The reasons are clear: constant liquidity pressures, fraud risks, customer conflicts, and long hours with little time for recovery. Agents operating only mobile money reported higher distress than those with diversified businesses, suggesting that income diversification may buffer against stress”, the study added.

Recommendations

In light of the findings, the study is calling for deliberate interventions to support the mental well-being of mobile money agents, warning that neglecting their welfare could ultimately affect service quality, productivity, and the sustainability of Ghana's mobile money industry.

“The takeaway for telecoms, regulators, and fintech actors is this -- mobile money’s success rests on agent networks, yet the current model extracts value from agents without adequately supporting them. Investing in agent well-being is not just an ethical imperative; it is essential for the long-term sustainability of mobile money services. The hidden costs of distress ultimately undermine service quality and network stability”, ISSER recommended adding that “The people powering Africa’s fintech revolution are struggling, and we can no longer afford to look away”.

In a related development, over 6000 prospective applicants missed the opportunity to become security personnel in Ghana after failing the medical screening as part of the requirements in the recruitment process.

During an interview with Accra-based Pan African TV on Saturday, May 23, the Interior Minister, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, indicated that the disqualified applicants were disqualified in the medical screening stage of the ongoing security services recruitment exercise after testing positive for drug use or being diagnosed with mental health conditions.

According to him, his outfit introduced these extra examinations due to long-standing concerns about the mental health of the security personnel in the country. However, following the screening (drug testing and mental health assessments), more than 4,000 applicants failed the drug tests, while about 2,000 others were disqualified on mental health grounds.

“We have over 100,000 people who have gone through the medicals. Because of the large numbers and because of what we have observed within the services, we introduced additional checks, including mental health assessments and drug tests. Interestingly, over 4,000 people failed the drug test, and we have over 2,000 who also failed due to mental health conditions,” he said.

Mr Muntaka noted that the outcome of the screening highlights the importance of strengthening recruitment procedures to ensure that only qualified and medically fit individuals are enlisted into the security services.

Suicide cases in 2024

The Mental Health Authority (MHA) in September last year reported that the number of individuals deliberately taking their lives increased significantly in 2024.

Speaking at the commemoration of World Suicide Prevention Day 2025 in Accra on Wednesday, September 10, Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, Dr. Eugene Dordoye, revealed a 40% rise in suicide deaths during this period.

According to him, about three hundred and thirty-four (134) suicide deaths were recorded in the previous year, adding that there are three to five individuals who attempt suicide but survive.

“The reported lives lost in 2023 were about 134. But we know that for every life lost, three to five times more people attempt. And for every attempt, up to 10 people are affected by it. Unfortunately, we experienced up to a 40% increase in 2024, and the concern here is whether it could be the increase in awareness or reportage,” he stressed.

He called for urgent interventions to tackle the growing public health crisis, emphasising that, “ We don’t have all the answers, but what we know is that we need to do more, we cannot afford to lose Ghanaians through a preventable cause of death”.

With the amendments to Section 57 of the Criminal Offences Act (1960) (Act 29) and Section 95 of the Mental Health Act (2012) (Act 846), persons who attempt suicide are no longer subject to legal prosecution or conviction.

Those who attempt suicide are now viewed as requiring medical and psychological intervention rather than legal punishment.Suicide cases have seen a surge in recent years.