Ghana

In Ghana people with mental health conditions are often considered as being possessed by evil spirits or demons. Due to these beliefs and the lack of local mental health services, some families and communities resort to shackling the person in their homes or in prayer camps. In some camps, people are chained to trees, where they would bathe, defecate, urinate, eat, and sleep, some for years. The government has made important steps to address these abuses, but much more needs to be done. It’s now been 5 years since the Mental Health Act was passed. It’s high time they invested in community-based mental health services.