Culturally prescribed beliefs about mental illness among the Akan of Ghana

Opare-Henaku, Annabella; Utsey, Shawn O.

doi:10.1177/1363461517708120

Cited by 45 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…In particular, consumers who perceived that mental illness is noninfectious and treatable were more likely to access mental health services. The positive attitudes and beliefs in the present study seem contrary to the negative attitudes exhibited by consumers of mental health services in previous studies in Ghana . The earlier evidence confirms that there is an increasing level of stigmatizing attitudes perpetuated against consumers of mental health services in Ghana.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 70%

“…[3][4][5] The current evidence confirms that most consumers of Ghana. 18,20,21,45 The earlier evidence confirms that there is an increasing level of stigmatizing attitudes perpetuated against consumers of mental health services in Ghana. The negative attitudes mostly originate from the public, service providers, family caregivers, and consumers themselves.…”

Section: Attitudes and Beliefsmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…Recently, several empirical studies have been undertaken on mental health issues in Ghana. The empirical evidence mostly addresses the following: policy implementation gaps; family caregivers’ experiences and burdens; stigmatization; mental health systems weaknesses, including financing, human resources, and supply of medications.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The predictors of treatment pathways to mental health services among consumers in Ghana

Nartey

Badu

Agyei‐Baffour

et al. 2019

Perspect Psychiatr Care

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Purpose To explore factors influencing treatment pathways to mental health services among consumers in Ghana. Design and Methods Cross‐sectional design using quantitative method. Findings Treatment pathways for mental illness were general hospitals/clinics, psychiatric hospitals, and faith‐based practices. The predisposing (age, household size, primary occupation, ethnicity, marital status, religion, and geographic location, as well as attitudes and beliefs), enabling (affordability), and need factors (severity of mental illness) were significant predictors of treatment pathways. Practice Implications Current advocacy and awareness for mental health services in Ghana should consider the predisposing, enabling, and need factors of consumers. Policy initiatives on mental health services should ensure adequate financing mechanisms and further establish collaboration between biomedical and faith‐based services.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 70%

Section: Attitudes and Beliefsmentioning

confidence: 73%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The predictors of treatment pathways to mental health services among consumers in Ghana

Nartey

Badu

Agyei‐Baffour

et al. 2019

Perspect Psychiatr Care

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Yendork et al [ 31 ] reported that congregants of charismatic churches also attributed mental illness to supernatural and diabolical forces. However, Opare-Henaku and Utsey’s [ 32 ] exploration of indigenous Akan concepts of mental illness suggests that such notions are likely influenced by cultural perceptions of illness causation, further emphasizing the syncretic nature of the neo-prophetic churches.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘The threads in his mind have torn’: conceptualization and treatment of mental disorders by neo-prophetic Christian healers in Accra, Ghana

Kpobi

Swartz

2018

Int J Ment Health Syst

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BackgroundIn many low- and middle-income countries, faith healing is used alongside biomedical treatment for many health problems including mental disorders. Further, Christianity in Africa has seen much transformation in recent decades with the growth of charismatic or neo-prophetic churches whose doctrines include healing, miracles and prophecies. As such, many charismatic pastors have been engaged in faith healing for many years. Such faith healers form a significant portion of the mental health workforce in these countries, partly due to the limited number of biomedically trained professionals. In this study, we sought to examine the beliefs of charismatic/neo-Pentecostal faith healers about mental disorders, as well as to examine the treatments that they employed to treat such disorders.MethodsWe interviewed neo-prophetic pastors who undertook faith healing, and examined their work relating to mental disorders. Ten pastors from eight churches in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana were interviewed using semi-structured interviews.ResultsThe data suggest that the pastors’ conceptualization of mental illness was generally limited to psychotic disorders. Their beliefs about causation were predominantly supernatural in nature although they acknowledged that drug misuse and road traffic accidents were also potential causes. The pastors’ expectations of healing also showed different perceptions of illness chronicity. Their diagnostic and treatment methods revolved around using prayer, prayer aids such as oils and holy water, as well as spiritual counselling for patients and their caregivers. However, they were not opposed to referring patients to hospitals when deemed necessary.ConclusionWe discuss the above results with emphasis on their implications for collaboration between biomedical and alternative healing systems in Ghana. In particular, we advocate a mutual understanding of illness perspectives between biomedical practitioners and faith healers as an important component for integrating different health systems in Ghana.

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“…The phrase is also used for mental illness. For this reason, people with psychotic symptoms, and even diagnoses of schizophrenia, seek out spiritual help as a pathway to healing (see, e.g., Opare‐Henaku & Utsey 2017; Read 2012).…”

Section: The Fante Lexicon For ‘Mind’mentioning

confidence: 99%

Adwenhoasem: an Akan theory of mind

Dzokoto

2020

Royal Anthropological Inst

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This essay explores the way the domain of what English-speakers call the mind -believing, thinking, feeling, and other mental acts -is represented and mapped by Ghana's Akan ethno-linguistic group. It uses several sources of evidence: mind and mind-related words in Fante (an Akan language); the largest Akan (Twi) proverb compendium; longsemi-structured interviews with forty adult Christians and African traditional religion practitioners; and short-term ethnographic fieldwork by a Ghanaian scholar. The work finds four dimensions of what we might call an Akan theory of mind that seem to be shaped by local language and culture. First, the central function of the mind is planning -not identity. Second, one of the most salient qualities of the mind is its moral valence. The 'bad minds' of others are an ever-present potential threat to social harmony and personal well-being. Third, the mind is understood to be porous in nature. The minds of all people are vulnerable to supernatural influences, and some spiritually powerful people can exert supernatural power through mental action. Fourth and finally, some elements which English-speakers would imagine as part of the mind (like feeling) are instead identified with the body.

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Culturally prescribed beliefs about mental illness among the Akan of Ghana

Cited by 45 publications

References 45 publications

The predictors of treatment pathways to mental health services among consumers in Ghana

The predictors of treatment pathways to mental health services among consumers in Ghana

‘The threads in his mind have torn’: conceptualization and treatment of mental disorders by neo-prophetic Christian healers in Accra, Ghana

Adwenhoasem: an Akan theory of mind

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