Care provision by single mothers to autism children in traditional communities in Ghana is widespread. As care for children is generally a challenging task, single mothers with autistic children face a double challenge because they have to give extra care and attention solely. Consequently, this study explores the experiences of single mothers caring for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to help pinpoint prevailing setbacks to draw practice implications. Evidence was collected through semi-structured qualitative interviews with 15 single mothers in Kumasi, Ghana. Narratives were analyzed thematically following the reflective thematic analysis procedures. The study identified stigmatization and rejection, financial strains and stagnation of social life as predisposing challenges experienced by single mothers of autistic children. The study suggests the need to sensitize people not to reject families with the condition as it is medical and not superstitious. The study also stresses the need for state interventions including enrolling poor mothers with autistic children into state programs like the Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty Program (LEAP). The study suggests that further research is needed to solicit the views of the extended family members of women parenting autistic children on the best ways to overcome the challenges identified in this article.

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In this study, we attempted to move beyond the skewed discussions on stigma to unravel other social consequences that are experienced by persons who have recovered from COVID-19. We conducted a documentary review of published news reports from 14 highly ranked news portals in Ghana and Malaysia (published between 1st January 2020 and 30th August 2020) that contained personal accounts from the recovered patients about their lived experiences with the virus and social consequences encountered after recovery. Narratives from the recovered patients were extracted and analyzed following the narrative thematic analysis procedure. Common themes identified from the narratives included: 1) Stigma impacting mental health, 2) Assault and abuse 3) Experiences of treatment. The findings show the need for interprofessional collaboration between social and health care professionals such as social workers, community health workers, medical practitioners and psychologists to prevent and address issues of abuse and other social consequences experienced by COVID-19 survivors.

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In this study, we investigate the factors that contribute to the discontinuity of education when girls marry as children. Using semi-structured qualitative interviews, we gathered the views of 11 girls with experience in child marriages in Ghana. Narratives were analysed thematically following reflexive thematic analysis procedures. The study identified: (1) Insistence of husbands for girls to stay at home (2) Stigmatization and ridicule (3) Stress as factors leading to educational discontinuity. The study suggests an intensification of sensitization campaigns in rural communities on the dangers of child marriage and ways to make schools welcome for those married.