Perspectives of community members on homeless people with mental illness in Nsawam, Ghana

Abstract

Background: Homelessness among people with mental illness has grown to become a common phenomenon in many developed and developing countries. Just like in any other country, the living conditions of homeless people with mental illness in Ghana are unwholesome. Despite the increased population of these vulnerable individuals on the streets, not much is known about the perspectives of the general public towards this phenomenon in Ghana. Aim: This research was conducted to explore the perspectives of community members on homeless people with mental illness. The main study objectives were (a) to find out the impacts of the presence of persons with mental illness on the streets and (b) to ascertain the reasons accounting for homelessness among persons with mental illness. Method: Utilizing a qualitative research design, twenty community members were sampled from selected suburbs in Nsawam and interviewed with the use of a semi-structured interview guide. The audio data gathered from the interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Results: Majority of the participants asserted that homeless people with mental illness had no access to good food, shelter, and health care. They further stated that some homeless people with mental illness perpetrated physical and sexual violence against the residents. Moreover, the participants believed that persons with mental illness remained on the streets due to neglect by their family members, and limited access to psychiatric services. Conclusion: This paper concludes by recommending to government to make mental health services accessible and affordable to homeless persons with mental illness nationwide.

Understanding older adults' functioning and health‐seeking behaviour during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Ghana: A descriptive qualitative study

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Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs of Women with Severe Mental Illness in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review

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“…Included studies were searched for evidence of ethics approval, informed consent and assessment of capacity to consent. Nineteen of the 100 included studies did not report whether ethical approval had been obtained [23][25][36][35][34][37][43][44][51][55][65][66][71][81][102][90] [104][19]. Seventy-six studies explicitly stated that informed consent had been sought from participants but of those, only 16 studies [31][32][37][36][42][52][57][60][67][70][5][2][99][110][111][113] included a statement that capacity to consent had been assessed prior to participants being included in studies.…”

Internalized stigma: Social support, coping, psychological distress, and mental well-being among older adults in Ghana

“…In Ghana, the admiration for older adults as custodians of knowledge and culture is paradoxically accompanied by various forms of ageist stereotypes, including witchcraft accusations ( Mabefam & Appau, 2020 ). Such stigma-related acts could lead to various issues, including suicidal ideation ( Abekah-Carter & Oti, 2022 ; Adinkrah 2020 ).…”