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The Ghana Psychological Association (GPA) has called for a holistic approach to treating bipolar disorder to help reduce the burden of mental illness.
“ Stakeholders are called upon to institute more effective measures to tackle bipolar disorder globally and uphold international best practices, ” he said.
A statement signed by Ms Joy Anima Debrah, GPA National Public Relations Officer, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said that for various reasons, mental health issues were largely neglected and underestimated, which that made it difficult to implement quality mental health care measures.
The statement said that the treatment gap for mental illness in Ghana was around 50 to 80 percent, thus many people were quietly suffering from mental illness without accessing necessary care.
Mental health, he said, is an essential aspect of health and one that significantly influences the cause, course, management and prevention of many other diseases, which ultimately determine a person’s overall well-being.
“Living with a mental illness can significantly affect your daily functioning, social interactions and performance in any task and also make it difficult to pursue life goals,” he added.
The statement explained that, in general, people with bipolar disorder had alternating episodes of unusually high moods (manic episode) and low mood (depressive episodes), with periods of normal mood that could be described as, “At one point they are on top of the world, and at another point, the world is on top of them …”
He added that extreme moods significantly impaired their functioning and could influence certain behaviors that may be inappropriate, socially unacceptable.
He said that varying degrees of experiences significantly impaired their functioning, their social relationships, the pursuit of their academic and professional goals, and perhaps a barrier to adjusting to appropriate social norms.
Therefore, the GPA recommended a combination of therapies to address the physical, mental, social, and spiritual needs of patients.
The statement says that while proper treatment in a health center is very necessary to control symptoms with the use of some medications, psychosocial counseling services are essential for patients to help control risks or triggers and maximize their functioning.
The Association urged family members and society to provide support to people with the disorder, during treatment and intervention, and beyond, because good social support was key to maintaining all bipolar management protocols in place. life to minimize the negative effects of the disorder and a possible recurrence. .
” Providing proper treatment for bipolar disorder is essential to reducing a major complication and a high 15 percent lifetime risk of committing suicide.
” Inadequate access to quality care, lack of adherence to treatment protocols, social stigma, negative religious interference, and inability to cope with triggers can increase the risk factors that initiate episodes.
” Remember, there is no health without mental health! GPA wishes you a mentally healthy day as we celebrate World Bipolar Day, ” he said.
World Bipolar Day is celebrated on March 30 each year to raise awareness of bipolar disorder.
Source: GNA
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