Creating communities that care: social representation of mental health in two urban poor communities in Ghana

Autor: Francis Agyei, Ama de-Graft Aikins, Annabella Osei-Tutu, Francis Annor
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Discover Mental Health, Vol 4, Iss 1, Pp 1-13 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2731-4383
DOI: 10.1007/s44192-024-00089-y
Popis: Abstract Building caring communities is fundamental to achieving a community-based approach to mental health. Understanding how communities perceive mental illness provides critical insight into fostering mental health awareness and care. We explored the perceptions of mental illness among members of two urban poor communities in Accra, Ghana. Qualitative data were collected from 77 participants through key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and situated conversations. Using theory-driven thematic analysis based on social representations theory, findings revealed cognitive-emotional representations of mental illness. The communities demonstrated high awareness of the multilevel factors contributing to mental illness risk and experiences, drawing on five sources of knowledge: embodied, common sense, medical, cultural, and religious. Mental illness representations informed the classification and legitimization of mental illness based on the severity of conditions and the identity of sufferers. These findings provide valuable insights for planning community mental health interventions that address both social and institutional care needs.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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