About 1,300 cases of mental health disorders have been recorded within the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) each year since 2021.
The statistics show alcohol use as the highest among the disorders, with 70 per cent of the cases being male officers. The data is from a post-COVID-19 statistics recorded from 2021 to last year.
The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Lieutenant General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, has urged personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to eschew mental health stigmatization, especially among men.
He emphasized the devastating consequences of stigma, including skyrocketing rates of suicide and reluctance to seek help.
He made these remarks during the GAF Men’s Mental Health Conference, held on Wednesday, 10 July 2024, at Burma Hall, aimed at “promoting the gender health of men in a gender-sensitive Armed Forces”.
Lieutenant General Oppong-Peprah attributed the stigma to societal expectations of male gender which often discourage them from expressing their emotions freely. He urged men to speak out and support each other in seeking help without fear or favour.
He also directed all Commands, Formations and units to conduct regular mental health screening programs across all services.
“In the Ghana Armed Forces, mental health cases have risen since 2017, and by the close of 2019, a total of 614 cases were recorded for both males and females.
However, post COVID-19 statistics have shown a marked increase with a total average of about 1,300 cases each year from 2021 to 2023, about 70 per cent being males,” Maj. Gen. Oppong-Peprah said.
“The most worrying indication is that, alcohol use disorder is at the top of the list,” the CDS added while addressing a conference to climax the maiden edition of the GAF Men’s Mental Health Awareness Week in Accra yesterday.
The conference was held on the theme: “Promoting the Mental Health of Men in a Gender Sensitive Armed Forces”.
Maj. Gen. Oppong-Peprah said mental health was a subject that was hardly discussed within the army even though it remained one of the most devastating conditions of the human race.
He said the detrimental impact of the stigma was far-reaching, thus causing many to develop suicidal tendencies.
The refusal of such officers to seek help sometimes resulted in actual suicide.
According to the World Health Organisation, men are more than twice as likely to die by suicide than women globally.
The CDS expressed worry that in spite of the high rate of suicide, men had lower reported cases of depression, a condition considered a significant suicidal risk factor.
He said a lot of responsibilities were placed on men resulting in excessive pressure on them.
Maj. Gen. Oppong-Peprah said though many of them might be reluctant to seek help due to stigmatisation, there were others who might not even be aware of their mental health issues.
He, therefore, urged the personnel to be each other’s keeper while also encouraging them to speak out and express their emotions freely without fear or favour.
“Let us all strive to avoid substance abuse, excessive alcohol, gambling and unnecessary spending, and organise our finances in order to live healthier lives going forward,” the CDS said.
A senior clinical health psychologist at the Therapy and Wellness Department of the 37 Military Hospital, Anita Paddy, said globally, one out of every four persons had some form of mental health issue or suffered from a mental condition at a particular point in time.
She said statistics indicated that 450 million people were living with some form of mental health conditions, and only one-third of that number would seek help.
Ms Paddy said the ability to cope with adverse life events, functionality in roles, interpersonal relationships and having a sound mind in a sound body were the key components of mental health.
