By Ashiadey Dotse
The Psychiatric Unit at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), is recording a sharp increase in mental health cases, with about 15,000 Out-Patient Department visits recorded every year.
According to the hospital, schizophrenia and postpartum depression are among the top mental health conditions being treated at the facility.
Psychiatrists say the situation is worrying because many of the patients are between 25 and 40 years old, an age group considered the country’s active workforce.
Speaking at the launch of this year’s Purple Month campaign, Acting Head of the Psychiatric Unit, Dr. Ruth Owusu Antwi, said the increasing number of cases is putting pressure on the unit due to limited infrastructure and resources.
She explained that the facility does not have enough space to accommodate patients, leading to delays in treatment. In some cases, patients leave before completing treatment and later return in more serious conditions.
Dr. Owusu Antwi appealed for the speedy completion of the psychiatric unit’s expansion project, which has stalled for nearly five years.
The Purple Month campaign was launched under the theme, “Mental Well-being for All: Turning Awareness into Action,” to promote mental health awareness and preventive care.
Dr. Owusu Antwi stressed the need for practical support systems to address the growing number of mental health cases in the country.
She urged the public to take mental health seriously, support relatives and colleagues facing mental health challenges, and avoid discrimination against people living with mental disorders.
“Help is available,” she said.
