“Mental health beyond the streets”: Somubi Dwumadie urges shift in perception

The Communications Manager for Somubi Dwumadie in Ghana, Dorcas Efe Mensah, has urged the public to stop associating mental health issues solely with people living on the streets.

According to Mensah, society often views homeless individuals as mentally ill simply because they lack support systems. “These people are seen as ‘mad’ because they are homeless and have no one to help them,” she said.

She also noted that the government’s inability to adequately address their healthcare needs, likely due to funding challenges, exacerbates this perception.

Mensah emphasised that many people with mental health conditions lead normal lives, largely because they have access to medication and support from family and friends.

“There are many walking around with mental health illnesses, but they go unnoticed because they have people supporting them,” she explained, contrasting this with the plight of homeless individuals who lack such support.

She called for a broader understanding of mental health, urging people not to limit their view of mental illness to those who are visibly struggling on the streets.

“When we think of mental health issues, we should not be quick to point to those who are vulnerable and cannot even tell where they are. Anyone can have a mental health condition unknowingly until something triggers it to be detected,” Mensah advised.

Mensah, who lives with bipolar disorder, shared her own experience to underscore the importance of treatment.

“When you go to the hospital, follow your treatment plan, and keep up with therapy, you can lead a life just like anyone else. You can take care of yourself, your family, and contribute to your country,” she said.

She also expressed gratitude to the UK government for its initiative in supporting mental health awareness, particularly for providing a language guide that encourages addressing individuals by their names rather than their conditions.

“Before someone had a mental health illness, they had a name. Don’t call people by their pain, but by the name their parents gave them,” she concluded.

Dorcas Efe Mensah made these remarks on Thursday, 12th September, during the closing conference of “Ghana Somubi Dwumadie,” a four-year initiative launched by the UK government during COVID-19 to address mental health and disability issues.