Support and Services for Adolescents with Mental Health Issues in Ghana: A Narrative Review
Aim: This narrative review explores and critically examines the current landscape of support systems for adolescents with mental health disorders and challenges (AMHCD) in Ghana, an area that has been unexplored and in need of extensive research.
Method: The study synthesised findings from literature accessed through computerized databases, manual searches, and grey literature.
Results: The review identified that the support system for AMHCD spans micro (family and individuals), mezzo (school and community), and macro (policy and healthcare systems) levels, offering both direct and indirect services. However, the themes identified reveal a significant disconnect between the levels of care, driven by limited resources, stigma, lack of trained professionals, and gaps between policies and practical implementation.
Conclusion: Unlike previous studies, this review underscored the need for more holistic services and offered valuable insights into Ghanaian adolescents' current mental health support systems. Doing so fills the gap in the literature by providing insight into the fragmented landscape of the support systems for AMHCD in Ghana to shine light on the issues, thereby promoting the need for further research to enhance support for this vulnerable population.
Implication: This review has important implications for policy implementation and key adolescent mental health support stakeholders. Policymakers can use these insights to improve services and make them more accessible to adolescents. Families and other actors in the ADMH support system will better understand available support, helping them seek appropriate care.
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