Browsing by Author "Agyei, F."
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Item Community and individual sense of trust and psychological distress among the urban poor in Accra, Ghana(PLoS ONE, 2018-09) Kushitor, M.K.; Peterson, M.B.; Asante, P.Y.; Dodoo, N.D.; Boatemaa, S.; Awuah, R.B.; Agyei, F.; Sakyi, L.; Dodoo, F.N.A.; De-Graft Aikins, A.Background Mental health disorders present significant health challenges in populations in sub Saharan Africa especially in deprived urban poor contexts. Some studies have suggested that in collectivistic societies such as most African societies people can draw on social capital to attenuate the effect of community stressors on their mental health. Global studies suggest the effect of social capital on mental disorders such as psychological distress is mixed, and emerging studies on the psychosocial characteristics of collectivistic societies suggest that mistrust and suspicion sometimes deprive people of the benefit of social capital. In this study, we argue that trust which is often measured as a component of social capital has a more direct effect on reducing community stressors in such deprived communities. Methods Data from the Urban Health and Poverty Survey (EDULINK Wave III) survey were used. The survey was conducted in 2013 in three urban poor communities in Accra: Agbogbloshie, James Town and Ussher Town. Psychological distress was measured with a symptomatic wellbeing scale. Participants’ perceptions of their neighbours’ willingness to trust, protect and assist others was used to measure community sense of trust. Participants’ willingness to ask for and receive help from neighbours was used to measure personal sense of trust. Demographic factors were controlled for. The data were analyzed using descriptive and multivariate regressions. Results The mean level of psychological distress among the residents was 25.5 (SD 5.5). Personal sense of trust was 8.2 (SD 2.0), and that of community sense of trust was 7.5 (SD 2.8). While community level trust was not significant, personal sense of trust significantly reduced psychological distress (B = -.2016728, t = -2.59, p < 0.010). The other factors associated with psychological distress in this model were perceived economic standing, education and locality of residence. Conclusion This study presents evidence that more trusting individuals are significantly less likely to be psychologically distressed within deprived urban communities in Accra. Positive intra and inter individual level variables such as personal level trust and perceived relative economic standing significantly attenuated the effect of psychological distress in communities with high level neighbourhood disorder in Accra.Item Competence in professional psychology practice in Ghana: Qualitative insights from practicing clinical health psychologists(Journal of Health Psychology, 2019-07-09) Aikins, A.D.; Osei-Tutu, A.; Agyei, F.; Asante, P.Y.; Aboyinga, H.; Adjei, A.; Ahulu, L.D.; Botchway, I.; Britwum, M.; Wiafe, S.A.; Edu-Ansah, K.; Nkrumah, R.; Ohenewaa, E.; Vogelsang, J.K.; Ketor, R.Issues concerning competence of practicing psychologists have not been critically investigated in Ghana. This study used the three-dimensional cube model of core competencies as a framework to explore competencies of professional psychologists in active clinical health practice in Ghana. Sixteen clinical psychologists with 1 to 20 years of practicing experience were interviewed on adequacy of their graduate training for practice as well as maintaining post-training competence. The results suggested that training equipped the practitioners mainly for research and teaching but less so for clinical practice. Reflective practice was underdeveloped leading to critical challenges in emotional and cultural competencies. Structural support for continuous professional development was limited. Implications for professional psychology training, research and practice are discussed. This study is the first to explore competence issues in professional psychology practice in Ghana, and it contributes to the global discourse on continuous competence in psychology.Item Factors associated with treatment-seeking for malaria in urban poor communities in Accra, Ghana(BioMed Central Ltd., 2018-04) Awuah, R.B.; Asante, P.Y.; Sakyi, L.; Biney, A.A.E.; Kushitor, M.K.; Agyei, F.; De-Graft Aikins, A.Background: In Ghana, about 3.5 million cases of malaria are recorded each year. Urban poor residents particularly have a higher risk of malaria mainly due to poor housing, low socio-economic status and poor sanitation. Alternative treatment for malaria (mainly African traditional/herbal and/or self-medication) is further compounding efforts to control the incidence of malaria in urban poor communities. This study assesses factors associated with seeking alternative treatment as the first response to malaria, relative to orthodox treatment in three urban poor communities in Accra, Ghana. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in three urban poor localities in Accra, Ghana among individuals in their reproductive ages (15-59 years for men and 15-49 years for women). The analytic sample for the study was 707. A multinomial regression model was used to assess individual, interpersonal and structural level factors associated with treatment-seeking for malaria. Results: Overall, 31% of the respondents sought orthodox treatment, 8% sought traditional/herbal treatment and 61% self-medicated as the first response to malaria. At the bivariate level, more males than females used traditional/herbal treatment and self-medicated for malaria. The results of the regression analysis showed that current health insurance status, perceived relative economic standing, level of social support, and locality of residence were associated with seeking alternative treatment for malaria relative to orthodox treatment. Conclusions: The findings show that many urban poor residents in Accra self-medicate as the first response to malaria. Additionally, individuals who were not enrolled in a health insurance scheme, those who perceived they had a low economic standing, those with a high level of social support, and locality of residence were significantly associated with the use of alternative treatment for malaria. Multi-level strategies should be employed to address the use of alternative forms of treatment for malaria within the context of urban poverty. © 2018 The Author(s).Item “It was touching”: Experiences and views of students in the June 3 flood and fire disaster relief response volunteerism in Accra, Ghana(Cogent Psychology, 2018-06) Quarshie, E.N.B.; Peprah, J.; Asante, P.Y.; Verstraaten-Bortier, M.; Abbey, E.A.; Agyei, F.Evidence from Africa on the motivations and experiences of student volunteers in community disaster relief response programmes are rare. This study explores the experiences and views of the students, who volunteered at the emergency mental health relief response site after the 3 June 2015 flood and fire disaster in Accra, and the implications for future professional response work in Ghana. Thematic analysis of 15 qualitative in-depth interviews showed that, overall, the student volunteers were both self-oriented and other-oriented. The students viewed work at the emergency response site as a touching experience and a call of duty. The response work provided the students with practical pathways for linking their clinical and community learning experiences. This study recommends that, rather than an ad hoc response team, the Ghana Psychological Association (GPA) should consider setting up a standing disaster relief response network to provide mental health relief and recovery response in community emergency situations in Ghana.Item Mental Health Competence in two Urban Poor Communities in Accra, Ghana: A Social Psychology of Participation Approach(University of Ghana, 2020-10) Agyei, F.Poor communities in Africa are disproportionately affected by mental disorders globally. Current research proposes that improving mental health in poor communities requires building their mental health competence. There are however limited community mental health competency studies in African context, to inform diagnosis of social realities of mental health in such communities and guide intervention planning. Integrating the social psychology of participation and community mental health competency models into a conceptual framework, this thesis conducted a critical social psychological analysis of the social realities of mental health probkems in Jamestown and Usshertown - two urban poor communities in Accra, Ghana. The conceptual framework explored three social psychological features of community mental health competency; i) symbolic competency – social representations which provides insight into lay mental health knowledge in the communities, ii) material competency – access to concrete material conditions such as money food, shelter and mental healthcare which structure mental illness experience in community context, and iii) relational competency – access to bonding, bridging and linking social capital which provides material and symbolic resources for addressing mental health problems. Mixed-method data were gathered, combining survey, focus group discussion, key informant interviews and situated conversations. Data was gathered from 384 survey respondents and 77 qualitative participants. The qualitative data was analysed using theoretically-driven thematic analysis. The survey data was analysed using chi square, multiple regression and structural equation modelling. Three key insights emerged, in line with the conceptual framework. First, the communities exhibited relatively high symbolic mental health competency, compared to their material and relational competencies. There was general awareness that the prevalent mental health disorders in the communities were depression, anxiety, ‘madness’, epilepsy, substance addiction, suicide, psychosocial stress, excessive anger, worry and frustration. There was also high awareness of the multilevel factors that expose them to these mental health disorders. Mental illness stigma and empathy co-existed simultaneously. Representations of the mental illness were cognitive-emotional, which informed legitimization and illegitimization of some mental health disorders depending on severity of conditions and identity of the sufferers. Second, the communities were extremely low on material mental health competency. Structural poverty and joblessness exposed healthy community members to recurring psychosocial struggles, and also undermined quality of care for individuals and families affected by mental health disorders. Finally, relational mental health competency of the communities was also low. While their bonding social capital was relatively high, there are limited existing bridging and linking social capital targeted at addressing mental health problems within the communities. Nevertheless, there are existing partnerships that offer opportunities for strategic alliances in transforming mental health within the communities. The implications of the insights in the development of participatory mental health interventions to build mental health competency in the research communities are discussed.