Screen addiction, betting, online trading listed among threats to mental health

The mental health of Ghanaians has been said to be at risk due to a rise in screen addiction.

According to Dr. Eugene Dordoye, a consultant psychiatrist with the Ho Teaching Hospital, betting, computer, and social media addiction are forms of screen addiction that are on the increase among the public and must be addressed.

“The most common forms of screen addiction now are social media addiction and gambling or betting. That is also another challenge and another form of screen addiction, because people spend money hoping to win. People even think they are working when they are betting. They forget that its name is “adult games.” So betting is a game and not a way to make money, not an investment,” he said.

Dr. Dordoye also highlighted the growing youth interest in forex trading, which, he observed, is becoming an addiction with individuals hoping to make returns on their investments.

“All these are gambling, but young people are into it, thinking they will make money out of it. Unfortunately, it is one of the avenues through which we are wasting the brawn and brain potential of our young people,” he added.

In addition to urging stakeholders to make deliberate efforts towards treating and rehabilitating individuals who are already afflicted, he called for increased public awareness of the negative effects of this addiction.

“These things are known; the challenge is the political will and the financial muscle to put these thoughts and ideas into action; that is where our biggest challenge has been.”

Dr. Dordoye was speaking to the media on the sidelines of a mental health advocacy workshop organized by MindFreedom Ghana, an NGO dedicated to advocacy on the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities.