Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Apr 2;22(1):639.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-13102-2.

A nationwide evaluation study of the quality of care and respect of human rights in mental health facilities in Ghana: results from the World Health Organization QualityRights initiative

Maria Francesca Moro  1 , Mauro Giovanni Carta  2 , Leveana Gyimah  3 , Martin Orrell  4 , Caroline Amissah  5 , Florence Baingana  6 , Humphrey Kofie  7 , Dan Taylor  8 , Nurokinan Chimbar  9 , Martha Coffie  7 , Celline Cole  10 , Joana Ansong  3 , Sally-Ann Ohene  3 , Priscilla Elikplim Tawiah  5 , Michela Atzeni  2 , Silvia D'Oca  2 , Oye Gureje  11 , Michelle Funk  12 , Nathalie Drew  12 , Akwasi Osei  5
Affiliations

A nationwide evaluation study of the quality of care and respect of human rights in mental health facilities in Ghana: results from the World Health Organization QualityRights initiative

Maria Francesca Moro et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: In 2012, Ghana ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and enacted a Mental Health Act to improve the quality of mental health care and stop human rights violations against people with mental health conditions. In line with these objectives, Ghanaian stakeholders collected data on the quality of mental health services and respect for human rights in psychiatric facilities to identify challenges and gather useful information for the development of plans aimed to improve the quality of the services offered. This study aimed to assess psychiatric facilities from different Ghanaian regions and provide evidence on the quality of care and respect of human rights in mental health services.

Methods: Assessments were conducted by independent visiting committees that collected data through observation, review of documentation, and interviews with service users, staff, and carers, and provided scores using the World Health Organization QualityRights Toolkit methodology.

Results: This study revealed significant key challenges in the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities principles in Ghanaian psychiatric services. The rights to an adequate standard of living and enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health were not fully promoted. Only initial steps had been taken to guarantee the right to exercise legal capacity and the right to personal liberty and security. Significant gaps in the promotion of the right to live independently and be included in the community were identified.

Conclusions: This study identifies shortcomings and critical areas that the Ghanaian government and facilities need to target for implementing a human rights-based approach in mental health and improve the quality of mental health care throughout the country.

Keywords: Ghana; Human Rights; Mental healthcare; Psychiatric services; Quality of care; UN CRPD; WHO QualityRights.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

MFM, MGC, LG, MO, CA, FB, HK, DT, CN, MC, CC, JA, SO, PET, MA, SDO, OG, MF, ND, and AO have nothing to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Example of the WHO QualityRights Toolkit’s organization, with the division of themes into standards and criteria
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Adherence to the WHO QualityRights Toolkit’s Theme 1 in the seven mental health facilities
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Adherence to the WHO QualityRights Toolkit’s Theme 2 in the seven mental health facilities
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Adherence to the WHO QualityRights Toolkit’s Theme 3 in the seven mental health facilities
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Adherence to the WHO QualityRights Toolkit’s Theme 4 in the seven mental health facilities
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Adherence to the WHO QualityRights Toolkit’s Theme 5 in the seven mental health facilities
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. World Health Organization. Mental Health ATLAS Member State Profile. Ghana; 2017.
    1. World Health Organization . WHO Ghana: a very progressive mental health law. The country summary series. 2007.
    1. Fournier OA. The Status of Mental Health Care in Ghana, West Africa and Signs of Progress in the Greater Accra Region. Berkeley Undergraduate Journal: Berkeley University; 2011.
    1. Esan O, Abdumalik J, Eaton J, Kola L, Fadahunsi W, Gureje O. Mental health care in Anglophone West Africa. Psychiatr Serv. 2014;65(9):1084–1087. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201300300. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ofori-Atta A, Read UM, Lund C, Consortium MHRP A situation analysis of mental health services and legislation in Ghana: challenges for transformation. Afr J Psychiatry (Johannesbg) 2010;13(2):99–108. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources