Towards a Comprehensive System of Community Based Mental Healthcare in Ghana: Social Work Perspective

Abstract

The Chapter reflects on how Ghana can learn from the strategies adopted by some developed countries in caring for the mentally ill. In this chapter, the author proposes the implementation of a community based mental health care for the mentally ill based on the experiences she gained over a three year period working in community mental health settings in the United States and Canada. The chapter also looks at the history of mental health care in Ghana, indigenous beliefs about mental health and how they affect care and attitude towards people with mental illness.