Proceedingsofthe

2ndMentalHealthandWell-BeingConferenceofGHANA

12-14OCTOBER2015

BOOKofABSTRACTSTheme:

“DignityinMentalHealth”

OfficialJournalofthe

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Proceedingsof2ndMentalHealthandWell-BeingConferenceofGHANA

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AbstractsCoordinatorDrGeorgeKweifio-Okaiwww.mhfgh.orgAbstractMentorsProfessor Norman Sartorius(Switzerland), President, Association for the Improvement of Mental HealthProgrammes;formerdirectoroftheWorldHealthOrganisation‘s(WHO)DivisionofMentalHealth,andFormerPresidentoftheWorldPsychiatricAssociation.Professor Brenda Happell (Australia), Professor of Nursing and Executive Director, Synergy, Nursing andMidwiferyResearchCentre,UniversityofCanberraandACTHealth.Dr George Kweifio-Okai (Australia), PhD in Physiology from the University of Melbourne. Biomedical andpublichealthscientist.MrFrancisAcquah(Australia),CredentialedMentalHealthNurse,FellowoftheAustralianCollegeofMentalHealthNurses,ClinicalDirectorofPositiveMentalHealthProgram.Australia.DrProsperAbusah(Australia),SeniorConsultantPsychiatristwithCentralAustralianMentalHealthServices,HonoraryLecturer,FlindersMedicalSchool,FlindersUniversity,Australia.DrJerryPKNinnoni(Ghana),PhD,MBA,HeadofMentalHealthDepartment,UniversityofCapeCoast,Ghana.Mr Noah Boakye-Yiadom (Canada),Health Promotion Coordinator, Central Zone Addiction/Mental Health,Alberta,Canada.__________________________________________________________________________________AboutTheMentalHealthFoundationofGhanawww.mhfgh.orgEstablishedinJanuary2013to:*PromoteapositiveattitudeaboutmentalhealthinGhana;*Workwithlocalorganisationstoreducestigmaassociatedwithmentalillness;*CollaboratewiththeGovernmentofGhanatoimprovementalhealthservicesandincreasefunding;*Makerecommendationsregardingpolicy,implementationandservice;*Encourage/initiatementalhealthresearch;*Improvestandardsintraining/practiceformentalhealthprofessionals;*Stimulatethedevelopmentofinformedpublicdebateandopinionaboutmentalhealthissuesand*FacilitateexchangeprogramsbetweenGhanaianandregional/internationalinstitutions.InternationalDirectorsandAdvisersMrFrancisRogerNiiLanteyeAcquah,Australia AssistantProf.MagnusMfoafo-M'Carthy,CanadaMsHelenCatherineWalters,Australia DrAishatuYushauArmiyau,NigeriaDrProsperYawoAbusah,Australia GhanaBoardMrAlfredPhilipMayuka,Australia MrSamuelAwuleyDokuUK/GhanaDrGeorgeKweifio-Okai,Australia MsGraceOwusuAboagyeAssociateProfessorChrisKewley,Australia MrPatrickTwumasiProfessorAnneBuist,Australia MsIsabellaMochiaMrNoahBoakyeYiadom,Canada MrPhilipAndoh__________________________________________________________________________________________Disclaimer:Theviewsandopinionsexpressedinconferencepresentations,postersandabstractsdonotnecessarilyreflectthoseoftheMentalHealthFoundationofGhanaortheConferenceSponsorsandSupporters.Copyright: No material published in this journal may be reproduced without first obtainingpermissionfromthepresentingauthors

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TableofAbstracts

P01.LivingwithSchizophreniaintheGhanaianCommunity................................................................4P02.22214-Kenya'sFREEMentalHealthSMSBreakingStigmaandOfferingSupportOneTextataTime.......................................................................................................................................................4P03.MentalHealthPromotionEnsuresDignity....................................................................................4P04.BuildingHumanResourceCapacityinMentalHealth:TheExperienceofIOMGhana.................5P05.“BreaktheShell”AutismAwareness,AcceptanceandAction......................................................6P06.TheDevelopmentofPsychiatryinGermanysincethe‘Psychiatrie-Enquete’-1975....................6P07.ThePrevalenceandSocio-CulturalFeaturesofDementiaamongOlderPeopleinKintampo,Ghana.....................................................................................................................................................7P08.“FullManyaGemofPurestRaySerene…”:Stigma,DiscriminationandSocialExclusionoftheMentallyill:ThecaseofGhana..............................................................................................................7P09.ExperiencesofCaregiversofIndividualswithSchizophreniaintheAccraMetropolis..................8P10.ExperiencesofCommunityPsychiatricNursesintheDischargeoftheirDuty:AStudyintheAccrametropolis....................................................................................................................................8P11.BridgingtheGapbetweentheDisabilityMovementandMentalHealthcareinGhana...............9P12.UnderstandingPsychotropicMedication......................................................................................9P13.ResearchProtocolTrainingWorkshopforFieldProjectonMentallyDisabledPersonsinPublicPlacesinGhana....................................................................................................................................10P14.IdentificationandManagementofPerinatalPsychiatricDisorders............................................10P15.TheroleofSocialWorkersintheDeliveryofMentalHealthCareinGhana...............................10P16.MentalHealthFirstAidStandard12hourCourse.......................................................................11P17.DevelopmentofaGhanaianNon-GovernmentMentalHealthandAnti-Stigma‘WatchDog’OrganisationandStrategy...................................................................................................................11P18.InterveninginMaternalMentalIllnesswithBabyinMind..........................................................11

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P01.LivingwithSchizophreniaintheGhanaianCommunityBrightAkpalu,Lecturer/ClinicalPsychologistandDivineKporhaetal;UniversityofHealthandAlliedScience,Ho,GhanaSchizophrenia isamongthemostdramaticmentaldisorders,duetothenatureofmostofthesymptompresentations.ItisoneofthefewmentaldisordersinGhana,whichiseasilyrecognised, and the only one, which has a local name in every Ghanaian language. Likeevery mental disorder in Ghana, the prodromal symptoms are either unrecognised ormisinterpreted,thuspreventingearlytreatment.DuringtheactivephaseofthedisorderinGhana,thevictimsarestigmatized,andorthodoxtreatmentissoughtasalastresort,afterall other options based on spirituality as a causal factor are exhausted. By the time thetypicalclientwithschizophreniaentersorthodoxtreatment,heorsheisseverelyill,withalot of complications. The stigmatization follows throughout in the treatment facilities.Abandonment is rampant. Thosewho are treated and discharged are not accepted back.Somebecomevagrantsroaminginthetownswheretheyhadtheirtreatment.Someothersgo back to their communities to face severe forms of discrimination and neglect. Theseconditionsarefertilegroundsforrelapse,andforpeoplelivingwithschizophreniainGhana;relapse is commonand rampant, as the communities are far from therapeutic and fertilegrounds for relapse. It is a grim situation to live with schizophrenia in Ghana as stigma,discriminationandneglectarerampantandrelapseisconsequentlyverycommon.

P02.22214-Kenya'sFREEMentalHealthSMSBreakingStigmaandOfferingSupportOneTextataTimeSitawaWafula,Mentalhealth/epilepsycrusaderandblogger,‘MyMind,MyFunk’,KenyaMy Mind, My Funk (MMMF – http://mymindmyfunk.com) is a mental health hub thatprovidesinformationandsupportforpeoplelivingwithmentalhealthconditionsandtheirfamilies.MMMFprovidesasolutionbymakingrelevantinformationandsupportaccessibleandaffordabletoKenyansfromallwalksoflifethroughitsFREEmentalhealthSMShelpline22214 -Kenya’s first linededicatedspecifically tomentalhealth.Bysimply texting22214,one can get a wide range of information from how to assist someone experiencing anepilepsy seizure to a list of other facilities that one can visitwithin their locality and getmental health/epilepsy treatment. MMMF also offers affordable phone and face-to-facecounselling and has a resident psychiatristwho sees clients (patients) onceweek for themostaffordablerate.

P03.MentalHealthPromotionEnsuresDignityNoah Boakye-Yiadom, Health Promotion Coordinator, Addiction and Mental Health,Alberta,CanadaHow do we as health and social care professionals create effective health promotioninitiativesthatensureandprotectthedignityofthoseweseektocarefor?Howdowealsopromote mental health within communities and address the key barriers of stigmaassociatedwith it?Mental healthpromotion creates communities andenvironments that

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support emotional wellbeing and encourages people to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Thedistinctionbetweenmental illness/disordersandmentalhealth iscritical to thisobjective.Thisaddresspromotesaholisticapproachtodignity incare, fosteringboth individualandcommunity resiliency, the creation of mental health awareness initiatives, buildingopportunitiesandenvironments includingtools toevaluatingtheoutcomesand impactofthese initiatives.Understandingand implementingmentalhealthpromotionwillempowerindividuals to recognise and foster their own sense of personal strength throughdetermining their own ambitions, and having the resources to do so in a supportiveenvironment.

P04.BuildingHumanResourceCapacityinMentalHealth:TheExperienceofIOMGhanaDaniel Kweku Sam, National Project Officer,Migration and Development, InternationalOrganizationforMigration,GhanaTheGhanaianHealthSectorfacesongoingcrisisinthefieldofhumanresources,aresultofseverebraindrainofprofessionalhealthworkers,suchasmedicaldoctorsandnursesinthelate90sandtheearly2000s.Theconsequenceshavebeenenormous,inparticularforthequalityofhealthcare.The"MigrationforDevelopmentinAfrica"(MIDA)GhanaHealthProjectwaslaunchedasabrain gain initiativewith the support from theDutch government, as oneof the possibleinterventions in theoverall human resource strategy for thehealth sector.As an integralpart of the (MIDA) approach of IOM, aimed at building a sustainable bridge formigrantswho can contribute to identified / targeted development in their countries of origin. TheMIDA Ghana Health III project had four-year duration from April 2008 until the end ofDecember2012,wasapproximatelylinkedwiththeMinistryofHealthofGhana’sfive-yearHumanResourcesPolicies&Strategies(HRPS)fortheHealthSector2007-2011.Duringthisperiod,GhanaianhealthprofessionalsfromtheNetherlands,UKandGermanyparticipatedinover300temporaryassignmentswherebyhighlyqualifiedcapacitiesweretransferredtoGhana.Thetemporaryreturnassignmentsandinternshipsfocusedontransferofskillsandknow-howandademand-driventhatrespondedtothecapacity-buildingneedsasidentifiedbythehostinstitutionsinGhana.Thebraindrainalsoledtoashortageofmentalhealtheducators/professionalsandstaffatall levels including - psychiatrists, psychologists, Medical Assistants in Psychiatry, socialworkers, psychiatric nurses etc. - as well an ageing workforce and poor and inequitableaccesstomentalhealthcareespeciallyinremoteandruralareas.Organized as they have been, individual diaspora efforts had sought to address thechallenges so far,havingbeen recognizedasexcellent initiatives,butdue to its “isolated”anduncoordinatednature,theseeffortshavebeenineffectiveandunsustainable.Recognizingandleveragingthecredibilityandglobalinterfaceofthediasporaaspartofthekeyingredientsforanactivenetworkforengagementfordevelopment,MIDAGhanaHealthsponsored the Mental Health Educators in the Diaspora (MHED), an internationalmultidisciplinaryfacultyofmentalhealthprofessionalsandtheSouthernPartnershipTrust,bothintheUnitedKingdom.Aspartoftheeffortstoaddressthesegapsandchallengesin

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the human resources, the project facilitated temporary returns assignments for thoseGhanaiandescents inbothgroupstotrainundergraduatemedicalandnursingstudents inpublic health nursing training institutions. The diaspora expert groups proactively soughtand createdopportunities for teaching, learning, serviceprovisionand research inawidevarietyofsettings.RecognizedamongsttheinstitutionsaretheAnkafulandPantangforpre-serviceandpost-basicmentalhealthtrainingandtheKintampoCollegeofHealth(formerlytheRuralHealthTrainingSchool)forthetrainingofMedicalAssistantPsychiatry(nowcalledClinicalPsychiatricOfficers)andtheCommunityMentalHealthOfficers(CMHOs).Thereisoptimism,giventheresultsandthemajorcontributionoftheprojectingeneral,thediasporamentalhealthexpertsactedasacceleratorsfordevelopment,changeandcapacityenhancementwithinthehostinstitutions,andtheentirehealthsectorinGhana.

P05.“BreaktheShell”AutismAwareness,AcceptanceandActionDrArabaAbakahFordjor,ExecutiveDirector,AutismActionGhanaAlthough quite a young organization, AAG boasts of a Parent’s-only Whatsapp group(0244132265)thatoffers24/7supportforparents, irrespectiveoftheir location inGhana.Also,AAGhasincollaborationwithotherpartners,successfullyorganizedprogrammessuchastheAppliedBehaviouralAnalysisConference,TrainingofteacherstomeettheneedsofChildrenwith ASD in the classroom setting and the “Break the Shell” AutismAwareness,Acceptance and Action Campaign. In July 2015, AAG held the first workshop on RapidPromptingMethod inGhana inwhichparents got to “hear” thevoicesof the childrenbymeansofaletterboard!

P06.TheDevelopmentofPsychiatryinGermanysincethe‘Psychiatrie-Enquete’-1975DrMED ErnestWilson, Neurologist, Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist, NeuroPsychoNet,Cologne,GermanyNeuroPsychoNet consists of Neuro-, Psycho- and Psychosocial Specialists who offerintegrative-holisticandcomprehensivemedicalcare,diagnosticsandtreatment,attendanceandguidance,informationandpreventionforadults,childrenandadolescentswithdiseasesanddisordersofthebrainandotherpartsofthecentralnervoussystem,oftheperipheralnervoussystem,withdisruptionanddisordersofmental,emotional,developmentaland/orpsychosocialbalance.ServicesareofferedinwestandcentralEuropeanlanguagesaswellasineastEuropeanandWestAfricanlanguages.The"MedicalCareNetworkNeuroPsychoNet- Dr. med. Ernest Wilson Medicals attends to all who seek assistance no matter whichinsurancestatus.

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P07.ThePrevalenceandSocio-CulturalFeaturesofDementiaamongOlderPeopleinKintampo,GhanaNaanaA.A.Agyeman,CentreforGlobalMentalHealth,UKDementiahasbeenlittlestudiedinLMICwhereitisprojected71%ofpeoplewithdementiawillbe livingby2050.Ghanahasoneof the largestpopulationsofelderly in sub-SaharanAfrica yet no population-based studies estimating the prevalence or exploring the socio-culturalcontextofdementiahasbeenundertaken.Toascertaintheprevalenceofdementiain the Kintampo Health Demographic Surveillance Site (KHDSS) and explore the socio-cultural and care related context of dementia in this setting, a one-phase cross-sectionalsurvey using mixed methods was undertaken in the KintampoMunicipality of a definedcatchment area. 900 potential index older persons were randomly sampled within arandomlyselected6sub-districtsfromasamplingframeofthetotalpopulationof4222of70+ adults within the KHDSS. For the quantitative component six sets of the 10/66 DRGprotocol assessment questionnaires were administered. A case study methodology wasemployed for the qualitative component. A sub-sample of interviewed participantsdiagnosedofdementiawereselectedfrom6-10householdsandre-contactedfor in-depthinterviewsusingatopicguideadaptedfroma10/66INDEPstudy.Preliminaryresultsofthestudywouldbeshared.Estimationofdementiaprevalence,knowledge/informationabouttheimpactofthediseaseonthepeople,carers/familiesinthecommunitywillbedescribed.To raiseawarenessof issues related toolderpeople livingwithdementia, findingswillbedisseminatedtoserviceproviders,policymakersandcommunitymembers.Itishopedthatour results will contribute to emerging evidence base on dementia in the sub-SaharanAfrica

P08.“FullManyaGemofPurestRaySerene…”:Stigma,DiscriminationandSocialExclusionoftheMentallyill:ThecaseofGhanaProfessorMagnusMfoafo-M'Carthy,Wilfrid Laurier, University, Faculty of SocialWork,Ontario,CanadaChallenges facedby individualswithmental illness inGhanaareenormous.This isdue totheprevailingcultureandsocietalpracticesthattendtostigmatize,discriminateandsociallyexclude individuals diagnosedwithmental illness. The lack of resources and political willcontinue to compound this problem. This article attempts to capture challenges facedbyindividuals with mental illness and their families. Exploring the lived experience of Ms.Danquah, a mental health advocate featured in the Ghanaian media recently. Herexperience gives insight to challenges faced by this population. Using a case studymethodology, the author examines the treatment and society’s perception of the illness.Though the intent is not to generalize, it is meant to make a case for the majority ofmentally ill individuals on the streets in Ghana, be it the capital, Accra, or smallercommunitiesandvillages.Thepaperarguesforthe importanceofembracingpsychosocialapproachtoaddressingissuesofmentalillness.

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P09.ExperiencesofCaregiversofIndividualswithSchizophreniaintheAccraMetropolisFlorenceAnimwaaDarko,PantangNursesTrainingCollege,Accra,Ghana;DrPrudencePortiaMwini-Nyaledzigbor,UniversityofHealthandAlliedSciences,SchoolofNursingandMidwifery,Ho,Ghana

ThisresearchexplorestheexperiencesofcaregiversofindividualslivingwithschizophreniaintheAccrametropolis.Areviewoftheliteraturesurroundingtheexperiencesofcaregiversof individuals with schizophrenia illustrated that this topic is widely researched globallyexcept in Ghana. Nevertheless, there is paucity of literature involving caregivers ofindividuals living with schizophrenia in Ghana, making this area for psychiatric researchlargelyneglectedinthecountry.Aqualitativeexploratorydesignwasusedinthestudy.Thestudy employed a purposive sampling technique using in-depth interviews and obtainedsaturation with twelve participants. The interviews were audio-tapped and transcribedverbatiminadditiontofieldnotesonthebehaviour,mannerismandsomeofthereactionsof theparticipants.TheMilesandHuberman‘s (1994) frameworkofcontentanalysiswasused.Ethicalapprovalforthestudywassoughtfromthe institutionalreviewboardoftheNoguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research at the University of Ghana, Legon forethicalclearanceandapproval.Thefollowingweresomeofthefindings:Caregiverburden;Great impact of care giving on the social life of the career; patronage of prayer camps,herbalistandshinesbycaregiversandtheirpatients,Caregiverneeds,etc.Conclusion:Theissue of informal care giving for schizophrenic patients comes with a wide variety ofimplicationsfornursing.Psychiatric nursescaring f o r p s y c h i a t r i c patients,shouldnot only concentrate on the psycho biomedical aspect of the patient, and neglect thecaregiverswhoareresponsibleforthepatientinthehome.Howeverneedsassessmentofbothclientandfamily,healtheducationtocaregiverscaringforthementallysick,followupvisits, individual and family therapy sections and counselling for patient and families,shouldspearheadthenurses‘roleinPsychiatricpatientscare.

P10.ExperiencesofCommunityPsychiatricNursesintheDischargeoftheirDuty:AStudyintheAccrametropolisFrederickYawOpareSidThisstudy soughttoexploretheexperiencesofCommunity PsychiatricNurses (CPNs) inthedischarge of their duty. An exploratory descriptive qualitative design was used inthis study. Thestudywasconducted intheAccraMetropolis.Thirteenparticipantsworkingin the six metro- districts of the Community Psychiatric Units of Ayawaso, Osu-Klottey,Ablekuma, Okai-koi, LEKMA, and Ashiedu-Keteke in the Accra Metropolis were used.Purposive sampling method was used to select participants with more than 3 yearsworking experience from each Community Psychiatric Unit. A semi-structured interviewguidewas the tool fordatacollection. Themajor findings includeddifficulty locating thehomes of patients due to poor home addresses and transportation, limited logisticalsupportand irregular supply ofmedications. Also, therewere stigmatizationof theCPN,assaults from patients and the negative attitudes of relatives of patients, which led torelapses.Participantshadtheexpectationthatriskallowancesshouldbegivenintheeventofanyinjurysustainedwhilesworking.Theyalsoemphasizedtheneedforrecognitionfromtheir employers, support from stakeholders aswell as Training and certificationofCPNs.

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Variouscopingstrategiessuchasreducingstigma,religion,self-motivationandreductioninhome visits were employed to deal with the challenges. Based on these findings,recommendationsweremade tohelpaddressthechallengesoftheCommunityPsychiatricNurses intheAccraMetropolis.Amongthemwere:the employerandmanagementofthevarioushealthcarefacilitiesshouldprovidetheCPNswithtransportto facilitateaccesstotheirclientsinthecommunity.Thereshouldbemediainvolvementineducatingthegeneralpubliconmentalhealthissuestoreducethestigmaofmentalhealthandmentalillness.TheMinistry ofHealth in collaborationwith stakeholders should embark on the training andcertificationofCPNsfortheirrecognition.

P11.BridgingtheGapbetweentheDisabilityMovementandMentalHealthcareinGhanaDanTaylor,ExecutiveSecretary,MindFreedomGhanaAccra,GhanaMindFreedomGhanawasfoundedin2004toassistpersonswithmentaldisordersintheirtreatment, and in their social,moral and economic conditions. Since 2009 themyriad ofDisability organizations in Ghana joined under the umbrella of the Disability Network ofGhanatocoordinateactivitiesandadvocacyandtoaddressknowledgeandaccessgaps inmental health care and advocacy. This presentation covers the role of theMindFreedomGhanainbridgingthosegapswhilerecommendingthattheDisabilityMovement inGhanashouldmorefullyengagetheMentalHealthAuthorityinimprovingmentalhealthservices;beconversantwiththeMentalHealthLawthroughworkshopsandtraining;widenadvocacyand increase publicityon human rights violations against personswithmental disabilitiesandencourageotherdutybearersintheMHLawsuchasthePoliceandLocalGovernmentMMDAs (metropolitan, municipal, district assemblies) to more effectively perform theirmentalhealthmanagementrolesundertheMHlaw

P12.UnderstandingPsychotropicMedicationEnyonamGanyaglo,CourageDanku,GraceOWUSU-ABOAGYE,ChiefCoker,PharmacistsGhana;DrErnestWilson,Neurologist,PsychiatristandPsychotherapist,GermanyNon-adherence to psychotropic medications in people with a mental illness can beassociated with factors including a lack of knowledge about their medications and sideeffectsaswellasa limitedacceptanceofhavingamental illness.Factorssuchaspatient’sattitude and experience about taking medication and provision of appropriate psycho-education can play an important influence in shaping medication adherence in mentalhealth patients. Pharmacists, as medication ‘experts’, can play an integral role inmaintainingand improvingthehealthofpatientsbyprovidingeducationand information.Thisworkshopwill provide the pharmacistswith a better understanding of how patientsexperience taking medications on a daily basis; how they feel, react and think aboutmedications;andwhytheymakethedecisionsandtaketheactionstheydo.Theworkshopwillalsoshowhowto improvepatienteducation inthefieldofpsychiatriccarebyplacingvalueonthepatient’sown‘medicationexperience’and‘self-management’strategies.

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P13.ResearchProtocolTrainingWorkshopforFieldProjectonMentallyDisabledPersonsinPublicPlacesinGhanaAssociate Professor Chris Kewley, Dr George Kweifio-Okai, Dr Victor Doku and BrightAkpaluIn order to gather useful preliminary data for further studies and professional andcommunity intervention, the Mental Health Foundation of Ghana, in collaboration withAustralia’s University of Newcastle and Ghana’s University of Health and Allied Sciences,wouldundertakeafieldsurveyofbehaviouralandsocialinteractionsofmentallyillpeopleinpublicplacesinselecturban,peri-urban,ruralandsemi-ruralsettingsinSouthernGhana.Thisworkshop, as part of 2ndMental Health andWell-being conference of Ghana 12-14October2015inAccra,focusesontechniquesofdistantobservationofmentallyillpersonsin public places to provide information on extent of idling in public places, categories ofmental illnesses among observed cohort, potential for self harm or harm to public andextentofpublic-andself-stigma.

P14.IdentificationandManagementofPerinatalPsychiatricDisordersProfessor Anne Buist, Professor of Women’s Health, University of Melbourne, AustinHealthandNorthparkPrivateHospital3-hourworkshop suitable for healthworkersworkingwith pregnantwomen andwomenwith babies (from both psychiatric and obstetric point of view). Maternal depression iscommoninbothpregnancyandthepostpartumperiod(16%and20%ofwomengivingbirthindevelopingcountriesonlatestdata).Thiscanhaveongoingconsequencesforthementaland physical health of the child, and affect the whole family. Early identification andtreatmentcanhelpimproveoutcomesforthesefamilies.Thisworkshopwillfocusonwhatrisk factors can alert workers to those women at risk, andwhat factorsmitigate againstwomen seeking and accepting care.Wewill then focus on what treatments canmake adifferenceandhowthesemightbeadaptedfortheGhanaiancontext.

P15.TheroleofSocialWorkersintheDeliveryofMentalHealthCareinGhanaMr Kwame Asante, Assistant Professor Magnus Mfoafo-M'Carthy, Wilfrid LaurierUniversity, Ontario, Canada and staff of Dept. of Social Welfare, Ministry of Gender,ChildrenandSocialProtectionThis session explores social work practice and how it has evolved over the years. ThepresenterswilldiscussthepracticeofsocialworkasaprofessioninGhanaandhowitcouldbewell developed to contribute to all sectors of society. The discoursewill focus on thechallengesfacedbytheprofessioninmodernGhanaandwhatcouldbedonetoensurethatpractitionersarewellequippedtoprovideadequateservices.

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P16.MentalHealthFirstAidStandard12hourCourseFrancisAcquah,PresidentMentalHealthFoundationofGhana,MelbourneAustraliaandNoahBoakye-Yiadom,HealthPromotionCoordinator,Alberta,CanadaMentalHealthFirstAidisthehelpprovidedtoapersonwhoisdevelopingamentalhealthproblem, or who is experiencing a mental health crisis, until appropriate professionaltreatmentisreceivedorthecrisisresolves.MentalHealthFristAidstrategiesaretaughtinevidence-basedtrainingprogramsauthorisedbyMentalHealthFirstAid(MHFA)Australia.The course content is derived from a number of consensus studies incorporating theexpertise of hundreds of researchers, clinicians, mental health consumer advocates andcarers’ advocates across the English speakingWesternworld. The 12-hourMentalHealthFirstAid course teaches adults (18 years andover) about the signs and symptomsof themostcommonanddisablingmentalhealthproblems,howtoprovideinitialhelp,whereandhowtogetprofessionalhelp,whatsortofhelphasbeenshownbyresearchtobeeffectiveandhowtoprovidefirstaidinacrisissituation.Developingmentalhealthproblemscoveredare:depression,anxiety,psychosisandsubstanceuse.

P17.DevelopmentofaGhanaianNon-GovernmentMentalHealthandAnti-Stigma‘WatchDog’OrganisationandStrategyAssociate Professor Chris Kewley, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University ofNewcastle,Australia,BrightAkpalu,LecturerandDivineKporhaetal;UniversityofHealthandAlliedScience,Ho,GhanaStigma against mental illness and suicide is a global phenomenon. Stigma is a markseparatingindividualsfromoneanotherbasedonasociallyconferredjudgmentthatsomepersonsorgroupsarelessworthythanothers.Stigmacommonlyleadstonegativebeliefsendorsingstereotypesleadingtoprejudice,socialdistancingandadesiretoexcludethosewho hold the stigmatised status. The impact of stereotyping, prejudicial behaviour andexclusion can affect the individual and their ability to recover as much as the actualsymptoms.Thewaymentalillnessisportrayedandreportedinthemediaispowerfulbothpositivelyandnegatively in influencing thepublicattitude.Thisworkshopwillexplore thefeasibility of developing a consumer driven Ghanaian sensitive stigma watch programdrawingontheaward-winningworkofSANEAustralia’sStigmaWatchinitiative

P18.InterveninginMaternalMentalIllnesswithBabyinMindProfessorAnneBuist,ProfessorofWomen’sHealth,UniversityofMelbourne,AustinHealthandNorthparkPrivateHospitalandInternationalAdvisorMHFGH3-hour workshop suitable for health workers working with women and babies (frompsychiatricandpaediatricpsychiatrypointofview).Formanywomenwithamentalillness,theirfirstsevereepisodeisafterthebirthoftheirchildren—andtheirillnessmayrelapseorbecome chronic while they remain the primary carer. This workshop will focus on thepotential impact of the mother’s illness on her children and address the following withrespecttoidentificationandintervention:Acutesafetyconcernsassociatedwithdelusions;

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Chronic issues related to negative symptoms of schizophrenia, and chronic depression;Neglectandemotionalabuse;Attachmentrelatedconcernsthatmaythenpersistthroughthegenerations

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ConferenceSponsorsandSupporters

Wegratefullyacknowledgethegeneroussupportofthefollowingorganisations:

UniversityofNewcastle,Australia

PositiveMentalHealthProgramAustralia

MentalHealthEducatorsintheDiaspora www.mentalhealtheducators.org

PreparationforLife

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3rdMentalHealthandWell-beingConferenceofGhana

17/10/16to19/10/16withthetheme

‘DignityinMentalHealth–PsychologicalandMentalHealthFirstAid’

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