Department of Psychologyhttp://ugspace.ug.edu.gh:8080/handle/123456789/50432024-03-29T01:39:02Z2024-03-29T01:39:02ZDomestic violence in Ghana: Exploring first-hand accounts of incarcerated male perpetrators based in Nsawam prison and views of government officialsOtoo, A.O.http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh:8080/handle/123456789/407682023-11-15T14:40:46Z2020-01-01T00:00:00ZDomestic violence in Ghana: Exploring first-hand accounts of incarcerated male perpetrators based in Nsawam prison and views of government officials
Otoo, A.O.
Although male perpetration of violence against female partners is a global concern, there
continues to be insufficient research attention on this phenomenon. The current study aimed
at exploring experiences of male perpetrators of violence against their female partners in
intimate relationships. The specific objectives were to get an understanding of the reasons and
beliefs contributing towards perpetration of domestic violence, explore the barriers that
perpetrators encounter with regard to receiving reformative support, and to suggest possible
strategies that can be adopted to reduce or prevent domestic violence. Adopting a qualitative
approach, data were obtained through in-depth interviews and participant observations
involving 22 convicted male perpetrators in the Nsawam Prisons in the Eastern Region of
Ghana, followed by interviews with stakeholders at the offices of the Domestic Violence &
Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service. The Interpretative
Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the data. Each transcript went through
a thorough analysis to extract themes which were subsequently Synchronised. Overall, the
findings from the present study elucidated some theoretical and practical implications. It
reveals the following major themes: perception of inequality between sexes, bride price,
childhood experience/witness of abuse, and victim blaming as contributory factors to the
phenomenon of male violence against women.
Research Articlwe
2020-01-01T00:00:00ZCommon Perinatal Mental Health Problems: Correlates, Birth Outcomes and Quality of Life among Women in AccraAdomako, B.http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh:8080/handle/123456789/381272022-06-08T10:02:11Z2017-01-01T00:00:00ZCommon Perinatal Mental Health Problems: Correlates, Birth Outcomes and Quality of Life among Women in Accra
Adomako, B.
Mental health problems are a key determinant of maternal and child mortality and morbidity, but are not currently recognized in existing initiatives to promote perinatal mental health, resulting in poor health outcomes for women, their children, families and the society
as a whole. The main aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between perinatal
mental health problems, birth outcomes and quality of life among women in Accra. A three phased iterative sequential mixed methods design was utilized for this research. The setting
of this research was the Accra Metropolitan Area. Study One (1), was a phenomenological study with findings indicating, that pregnancy was considered a mix bag of joys and distress.
Again, pregnancy was experienced on various levels; through the lens of mother, within family, and within the health system. Furthermore, there was low awareness of perinatal
mental disorders. Finally, various coping mechanisms such as faith and engagement in productive activity were employed to deal with the perinatal mental health problems experienced. The results from Study One, fed into Study Two, which was a two-wave prospective panel study, consisting of one hundred and twenty-two (122) purposively sampled women, who were within the perinatal period. Standardized instruments were administered at two time points (during pregnancy and after birth). Results of Study Two indicated that; there was a negative significant relationship between depressive symptomatology and quality of life during pregnancy and after birth with Social Support moderating these relationships. Intimate partner relationship however did not have any moderating effect on those same relationships. Also, there were no lagged effects between CMD‘s during pregnancy and quality of life after birth. A third study (Study Three) was conducted as a follow up to Study Two, in order to explore the contextual factors that might underlie some of its findings. It emerged from this study that participants ‘conceptions of childbirth were shaped by their cultural context. In addition, explanatory models accounting for CMD symptomatology were based on multilevel experiences, with a sense of self efficacy and beliefs in spirituality being used as coping mechanisms. It also emerged from Study Three, that constructions of intimate partner relationship reflected the male hegemony in Ghanaian cultural settings. A further exploration into perinatal mental health care services in Accra showed an unmet need as well as the essence of a culturally competent perinatal mental health service within Accra. The implications of the findings for clinical practice and policy, as well as the limitations and recommendations from this research are addressed.
PhD. Psychology
2017-01-01T00:00:00ZMental Health Competence in two Urban Poor Communities in Accra, Ghana: A Social Psychology of Participation ApproachAgyei, F.http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh:8080/handle/123456789/359252020-11-26T11:53:37Z2020-10-01T00:00:00ZMental Health Competence in two Urban Poor Communities in Accra, Ghana: A Social Psychology of Participation Approach
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.
PhD. Psychology
2020-10-01T00:00:00ZOrganizational Integrity And Corruption Decision-Making in The Ghanaian Public ServiceDe Souza, M.N.M.http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh:8080/handle/123456789/359242020-11-26T11:53:14Z2020-10-01T00:00:00ZOrganizational Integrity And Corruption Decision-Making in The Ghanaian Public Service
De Souza, M.N.M.
Global effort to fight corruption has become more intense because it is considered one of the most complex societal problems. Corruption in Ghana’s public service poses a significant risk to service delivery and national development. The upsurge and deeply rooted nature of corruption in the public service have been attributed to the breakdown of organizational integrity in these institutions. Corruption research in the public service is subsumed mainly under rationalistic assumptions and approached from the premise that corruption is a self-serving behavior of public service workers, therefore organizational integrity management is overly focused on enforcing formal norms. This study argued that the decision to engage in or refute corrupt activities is not solely premised on self-serving rationalistic behavior, but also guided by a multiplicity of complex informal organizational norms. Unfortunately, attention is rarely paid to the role of informal organizational norms in public servants’ corruption decision-making. Using qualitative vignettes, this study was designed to explore how public service workers (PSWs) experience and navigate context-specific formal and informal organizational norms in corruption decision making. Three focus group discussions with 22 public service Directors and semi-structured individual interviews with 26 public service Administrative and Technical staff were conducted. Additionally, 8 individual interviews with anti-corruption activists and retired public service workers were integrated with a document review of grey literature to corroborate findings. Formal and informal organizational norms that influenced organizational integrity and PSWs decision-making included rigid bureaucracy, opportunistic staffing, political praise-singing, apathy towards work, and reciprocal appreciation. Informal organizational norms equally influenced PSWs corruption-decision-making as did the formal norms. However, in the vignette scenarios where the perception of the severity of formal sanctions was under-rated, informal organizational norms displaced formal organizational norms, clouded the organizational interest, putting to the fore the interest of the individual and the corrupt partner. An additional noteworthy finding was that context-specific risk preferences were employed by PSWs as heuristics to navigate corruption in the public service.
The findings imply that ensuring compliance with formal organizational norms and regulations is
necessary but insufficient to effectively prevent corruption in the Ghanaian public service. To effectively manage organizational integrity to mitigate corruption, there is a need for administrative and structural changes, as well as organizational and social unlearning of dysfunctional formal and informal organizational norms.
PhD. Psychology
2020-10-01T00:00:00Z