Between 2022 and 2025, more than 2,000 cases of bipolar disorder were recorded across three regions — Ashanti, Greater Accra, and Central — a trend health officials have described as alarming. The Deputy Director of Health Promotion at the Mental Health Authority, Dr. Yaw Amankwa Arthur, disclosed the figures during a capacity-building workshop for guidance and counselling coordinators, as well as school health programme coordinators, held at the Ablekuma West Municipal Education Directorate in Accra yesterday.
Organised by the Mental Health Authority to mark this year’s World Bipolar Day, the session aimed to equip school authorities with the knowledge to identify early symptoms and provide support to affected students. It also formed part of the Authority’s broader commitment to raising mental health awareness and ensuring that discussions around bipolar disorder are accurate, respectful, and free from stigma or discrimination.
Dr. Arthur noted that bipolar disorder remains widely misunderstood, a situation that fuels stigma and delays treatment. He explained that everyday stressors and lifestyle choices can increase vulnerability to mental health conditions, underscoring the importance of awareness and self-care. Highlighting the broader implications, he cited research showing that mental health challenges account for about seven percent of Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), stressing the need for both individuals and organisations to invest in mental health education and care to boost national productivity.
Dr. Arthur further indicated that mental health services have now been integrated into primary healthcare, making support more accessible nationwide. He emphasised the importance of continuous public education to promote early detection, reduce stigma, and improve outcomes for those living with bipolar disorder. He added that the condition can be effectively managed through medication, therapy, or a combination of both, urging the public to seek timely treatment at health facilities to ensure better management.
In a speech read on his behalf, the acting Director of the authority, Dr Eugene K. Dordoye, said reducing stigma and discrimination was critical to encouraging persons living with bipolar disorder to seek help without fear.
He also said that there was a need to strengthen collaboration between the health and education sectors to promote mental health awareness, particularly among young people, including providing appropriate support systems in schools and communities. For his part, the Ablekuma West Municipal Director of Education, Christian Julius Aforlah, commended the authority for the initiative. “We have about 155 teachers who are benefiting from this training; it will help them create awareness and know how to handle learners,” he said.
The director also said that the programme would be expanded to cover all teachers in the municipality, adding that more than 500 teachers were expected to benefit in subsequent phases.
Source: Joselyn Kafui Nyadzi
