Clear the stigma Reviewed 20 October 2026
Mental health stigma in Ghana, and how we change it
Stigma is the shame, fear and gossip that gather around mental illness. It’s why so many people in Ghana suffer quietly instead of asking for help. The good news: words and habits can change, and they’re already starting to.
What stigma looks like here
A study of adults in Accra, Cape Coast and Pantang found high levels of stigmatising attitudes. Patients at Ghana’s three psychiatric hospitals described a lot of stigma, and many coped by keeping their illness secret.1 The same study found that people with more education tended to hold more positive attitudes, so learning makes a difference.1
Language plays a part. Many different conditions get lumped together under one word, abodam, “madness”, which turns a health problem into an insult.2
Faith, culture and care
Belief in spiritual causes of mental illness is common in Ghana, and many people first look for help from faith or traditional healers.34 Faith can be a real source of strength. The problem comes when it’s the only door, or when people are told that seeking medical care shows weak faith. Prayer and treatment can work together.
What the law says
Ghana’s Mental Health Act, 2012 (Act 846) set up the Mental Health Authority and a framework to protect the rights of people with mental illness. A WHO-supported review of Ghana’s mental health system calls it one of the best on the continent.5
In 2023, Ghana changed the Criminal Offences Act so that people in suicidal crisis are treated as needing care, not punishment (Act 1092).6
How each of us can help
- Change the words. Say “she’s dealing with anxiety”, not “she’s going mad”. Say “a person living with schizophrenia”, not “a schizophrenic”.
- Lead with the person. They’re a son, a classmate, a colleague first.
- Don’t blame. Mental illness isn’t a punishment or a curse. It’s health.
- Remember recovery. With support, people get better and live full lives.
- Make it easy to speak up. Learn what to say when someone says “I’m not okay”.
Where it changes: five rooms
Stigma doesn’t live in hospitals. It lives at home, in places of worship, at school, at work and online. That’s where StigmaClear works, with the people others already trust.
Common questions
Why is there mental health stigma in Ghana?
Research points to beliefs about spiritual causes, words like “abodam” that turn illness into an insult, fear of shame on the family, and a habit of keeping illness secret. Education is linked with more positive attitudes.
Is attempted suicide still a crime in Ghana?
No. The Criminal Offences (Amendment) Act, 2023 (Act 1092) decriminalised it, so people in crisis are treated as needing care.
Sources
- Barke, Nyarko & Klecha, The stigma of mental illness in Southern Ghana, Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology (2010)
- Benyah, Prayer camps and mental health in Ghana, doctoral thesis, Åbo Akademi University (2023)
- WHO Special Initiative for Mental Health, Ghana situational assessment (2021)
- Kpobi & Swartz, Indigenous and faith healing for mental health in Ghana (2019)
- WHO-AIMS Report on the Mental Health System in Ghana (2020)
- Criminal Offences (Amendment) Act, 2023 (Act 1092), GhaLII
StigmaClear shares education and peer support, not medical advice. If you’re worried about your health, speak to a health worker.