A Review of Telepsychology and Mental Health Mobile Apps in Advanced Countries: Opportunities for Ghana’s Mental Health Care

Abstract

In September 2015, 194 countries adopted the sustainable development goals spearheaded by the United Nations. These 17 goals officially came into effect in January 2016 with the ultimate aim of a higher quality of life for all ("The Sustainable Development Agenda," n.d.). Sustainable development can be defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development implies development and growth in conscious ways that do not cause havoc for future generations.Human beings are the central reason for the need for sustainable development and at the same time, without humans, the agenda for sustainable development cannot be realized. Health and wellbeing comprise the third arm of the United Nations' sustainable development goals.The goals of sustainable development cannot be achieved when there is a high prevalence of encumbering illnesses (Von). Health is a significant contributor to, and an indicator of, sustainable development and its wide-reaching impact on people, societies, countries, economies and such goals as the sustainable development goals have corralled attention to this integral area. In doing so, there is an aspect of health that has not gained as much attention as the physical health related issues in Ghana and this lies in the area of mental health. Mental health can be defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community ("WHO | Mental health: a state of well-being", 2017). It comprises an individual's psychological, emotional, and social being with impacts on the way one thinks, feels and acts. The state of an individual's mental health affects how stress is handled, how relationships are managed, and the decisions that one makes. Just like physical health, mental health is important in every phase of life, from childhood to adulthood. In childhood for