Accra – As the world observes World Mental Health Day 2025, experts warn that the psychological impact of disasters and health emergencies in Ghana is often overlooked. Dr Leveana Gyimah, WHO Ghana Mental Health Technical Officer, and Patrick Avevor, WHO Ghana Infectious Hazard Management Officer, stress that mental health is essential to overall well-being, shaping how people think, feel, act, and cope with stress.
This year’s theme, “Access to Service: Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies,” highlights that emergencies affect not only infrastructure and livelihoods but also minds and emotions. Fear, grief, and trauma linger long after physical recovery. Families struggle to regain stability, children face disrupted schooling, and communities often lose trust and connectedness.
Health crises, natural disasters, and armed conflicts can trigger or worsen mental health conditions. Evidence shows that nearly everyone exposed to an emergency experiences psychological distress, and one in five may develop a diagnosable condition such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD. Without support, these effects can persist, slowing recovery and weakening resilience.
Ghana’s recent emergencies demonstrate this need. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted routines, separated families, and created fear, while frontline health workers battled exhaustion, grief, and stigma. In 2023, the Akosombo Dam spillage displaced tens of thousands, destroying homes, health facilities, and livelihoods. Recurring floods in the north and along the coast, as well as outbreaks of COVID-19, yellow fever, cholera, mpox, and meningitis, have added to the strain on communities.
WHO, the Government of Ghana, the Ghana Health Service, and the Mental Health Authority have worked to integrate Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) into emergency response. During COVID-19, WHO supported hotlines, trained frontline workers in psychological first aid, and provided counseling alongside clinical services, helping reduce fear and build public trust.
Following the Akosombo Dam spillage, WHO staff and local authorities provided psychosocial support on the ground, training volunteers and health workers to assist displaced families. Support was also extended to responders, who faced immense pressure while caring for affected communities.
MHPSS has proven critical for the long-term effects of epidemics and disasters, including neurological complications, social stigma, and trauma. Integrating mental health into recovery and rehabilitation ensures survivors receive ongoing support to restore confidence, manage stigma, and rebuild lives.
Dr Gyimah and Avevor warn that while Ghana has made progress, gaps remain in ensuring timely and accessible mental health services during crises. World Mental Health Day serves as a reminder that investing in mental health is not optional—it is a lifesaving intervention that strengthens recovery and resilience.
“Beyond every flood, outbreak, or disaster lies an invisible burden carried in the minds and hearts of survivors and responders alike. That burden can only be lifted when mental health is treated as a cornerstone of survival, healing, and human dignity,” the experts said.
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