Take charge of your mental health  — Ghanaians told

As Ghana observes Mental Health Month in May, a Clinical Psychologist, Dr Ebenezer Tetteh Kpalam, has advised the public to take charge of their mental health by assessing their functionality and being positive in dealing with the daily stresses of life.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) Dr Kpalam said even though society was full of stresses stemming from economic hardships among other issues, people must make conscious efforts to improve their mental health by having positive interpersonal relationships and managing their stress levels.

He recommended exercises, proper dieting, and regular mental checkups to deal with the daily stresses of life, adding; “If you are struggling to cope with daily life, then your mental health is not in good shape.”

“When one is unable to deal with the normal stresses of life and cannot work well, make use of his or her own abilities, or contribute to society in general, then the person needs to see a professional psychologist or psychiatrist for diagnosis and treatment.”

"Also, if the state of stress and other mental-related issues consistently affected a person’s interpersonal relationship negatively for two weeks or more, it meant that person might be mentally unstable or unwell," he noted.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says; “Good mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to the community; therefore, anything short of that needs to be checked.”

Dr Kaplan, thus, called on organisations and religious bodies to add mental checks to their routine annual health talks and screenings, as it was equally important for their members.

May is observed globally as a 'purple month' to create awareness about mental health and mitigate the stigma associated with mental health conditions.

In Ghana, the Mental Health Authority takes the opportunity to amplify and advocate mental wellness across the country within the month.

GNA