The President of the Ghana Psychological Association, Dr. Collins Agyemang, has emphasized that the increasing prevalence of mental health disorders among Ghanaians should serve as a significant wake-up call for the country.

Speaking on TV3's "Ghana Tonight" show on Monday, September 25, 2023, Dr. Agyemang commented on statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ghana Psychological Association regarding the rising number of individuals grappling with mental health issues in Ghana.

According to these statistics, approximately 13% of Ghanaians are living with mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and eating disorders.

Dr. Agyemang stressed that the current challenging economic conditions make it imperative for Ghanaians to prioritize their mental well-being.

“Certainly, it is a wakeup call for Ghana and now more than ever, given the economic conditions as well as some of the challenging moments we live in, we need to give this a careful attention,” he stated.

“That particular percentage according to WHO is about 2.4 million Ghanaians, and for me that is GDP that we are losing. Imagine if all these 2.4 million Ghanaians are adults of the working class, then it tells you the effect this will be having on our community.

“Let also imagine these mental illnesses, some perhaps may be suicidal. Now we are told to every suicide death, about 135 different people around these people get affected one way or the other,” he analyzed.

He also pointed out that mental illnesses, such as depression, can have a ripple effect, affecting numerous people around those who are suffering.

"In the case of suicide, for instance, for every suicide death, approximately 135 individuals in the vicinity are affected in one way or another," he explained.

Dr. Collins Agyemang particularly highlighted depression as one of the most common mental health disorders in Ghana.

He attributed this prevalence to the difficulties and crises people face, compounded by limited awareness among Ghanaians about recognizing the early signs of a crisis, which often leads to delayed detection of depression.

“In Ghana, depression is one of the commonest that you can find. And is largely because when people go through difficult situations, when people are hit with crisis and given the limited knowledge that majority of Ghanaians have regarding the onset of crisis, a number of Ghanaians end up getting depressed. And it is usually at the advance stage that we get to know that indeed this person is getting depressed,” he added.