Factors influencing medical students and psychiatry residents in Ghana to consider psychiatry as a career option – a qualitative study

Abstract

Background Currently, Ghana has 14 actively practicing psychiatrists and about 26 psychiatric residents for a population of over 28 million people. Previous research suggests a lack of interest by Ghanaian medical students and medical graduates in considering psychiatry as a career option. Objectives To examine the perception of medical students and psychiatry residents in Ghana about the barriers which hinder Ghanaian medical graduates from choosing careers in psychiatry and how these barriers could be overcome. Methods This was a cross-sectional qualitative study with data gathered using focus group discussion. Twenty clinical year medical students were selected through block randomization from the four public medical schools in Ghana and invited to participate in one of two focus group discussions. Also, four psychiatric residents were invited to participate in the focus group discussions. Results The main barriers identified by participants could be grouped under four main themes, namely: (a) myths and stigma surrounding mental health and patients, (b) negative perceptions of psychiatrists, (c) infrastructure and funding issues, (d) lack of exposure and education. To address the barriers presented, participants discussed potential solutions that could be categorized into five main themes, namely: (a) stigma reduction, (b) educating professionals, (c) addressing deficient infrastructure, (d) risk management, and (e) incentivizing the pursuit of psychiatry among students. Conclusion Health policy planners and medical training institutions could consider implementing proposed solutions to identify barriers as part of efforts to improve the psychiatrist to patient ratio in Ghana.

Factors influencing the choice of specialization in psychiatry among students of medical universities – a review

“…[27] potwierdzono, że mity oraz piętno związane ze zdrowiem psychicznym, jak również negatywne postrzeganie psychiatrów należą do głównych barier utrudniających studentom medycyny wybór kariery w psychiatrii [27]. Kwestią ściśle powiązaną z wizerunkiem osoby z zaburzeniami psychicznymi jest fakt, że społeczeństwo za podstawową przyczynę choroby uważa problemy o charakterze duchowym, co jeszcze bardziej utrudnia proces leczenia takiego pacjenta [27]. Jak wykazano w badaniach przekrojowych oraz przeglądach literatury, elementy mogące wpłynąć na wybór specjalizacji z psychiatrii, tj.…”

Workforce migration and brain drain – A nationwide cross-sectional survey of early career psychiatrists in Nigeria

“…In East Africa, Kenya has only 115 psychiatrists serving a population of over 50 million (Marangu et al, 2021 ). In West Africa, Ghana, with a population of 28 million people, has only 14 psychiatrists, while South Africa, in the southern part of the continent has 850 psychiatrists attending to a population of over 55 million (Agyapong et al, 2020 ; Rensburg et al, 2021 ). The overall situation in Sub-Saharan Africa is worse compared to developed nations, despite variations among individual countries.…”