ASSESSING PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THE ETIOLOGY OF MENTAL DISABILITY AND THE RESULTANT IMPACT ON HELP-SEEKING BEHAVIOURS AND SOCIETAL ATTITUDES AMONG PEOPLE SOCIALIZED IN COSMOPOLITAN CULTURES; A CASE STUDY OF TAMALE METROPOLIS IN THE NORTHERN REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

Mental health is as important as physical health to the overall well being of individuals and societies. Mental health has however not attracted the needed attention from the health sector in Ghana over the years. The dearth of knowledge about issues surrounding mental disability has over the period given rise to asocial causal perceptions and differential predispositions towards affected. persons. In the midst of ever growing prevalence rates coupled with inadequate facilities and trained personal, persons with mental disability are left with little or no alternative choices of coping with their conditions. In the midst of complex social causality therefore, this study assesses perceptions about causes of mental disability amongst people socialised in cosmopolitan communities in Northern Ghana and the resultant impact on help-seeking behaviours of affected persons and their care givers/close relatives. Drawing on individual interviews conducted over a period of eight (8) weeks amongst a total of ninety four (94) mental health patients and their care¬givers as well as available literature on the subject, data was collected and analysed by use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), The study also adopted structured questionnaires among health officials to further explore clinical issues surrounding the disability. The study reveals that patients- causal perceptions differ significantly from that of their care givers/close relatives and that, a complex positive correlation exists between perception, help seeking behaviours and societal attitudes towards persons with mental disabilities. The study also shows that patients' involvement in income generation activities precipitate positive attitudinal predispositions towards them. The study concludes based on its findings that, there is need for conscientious investment in mental. health care by both government and private sector, whilst taking note of the differential socio-cultural perceptive appreciation of the disability.