Digital health for early psychosis in Ghana: patient and caregiver needs and preferences.

In West Africa, the long-term consequences of poor early psychosis recovery include poverty, neglect, and community ostracization. To understand the potential for digital health approaches to support early psychosis care in Ghana, we conducted a survey study among early psychosis patients and their caregivers about mental health needs, technology use and access, and interest in digital mental health. Hospital staff at Accra Psychiatric Hospital reviewed hospital medical records from January 2023 - December 2023 identifying young adults (≥18 years old) who had experienced psychosis symptoms for the first time within the prior five years.

mHealth and Digital Innovations as Catalysts for Transforming Mental Health Care in Ghana.

How mHealth and digital innovations are key to transforming mental health care in Ghana, bridging gaps in a system challenged by resource scarcities and a critical shortage of mental health professionals.

Combining mHealth Technology and Pharmacotherapy to Improve Mental Health Outcomes and Reduce Human Rights Abuses in West Africa: Intervention Field Trial.

Background: In West Africa, healers greatly outnumber trained mental health professionals. People with serious mental illness (SMI) are often seen by healers in "prayer camps" where they may also experience human rights abuses. We developed "M&M," an 8-week-long dual-pronged intervention involving (1) a smartphone-delivered toolkit designed to expose healers to brief psychosocial interventions and encourage them to preserve human rights (M-Healer app), and (2) a visiting nurse who provides medications to their patients (Mobile Nurse).

Seeking Healing for a Mental Illness: Understanding the Care Experiences of Service Users at a Prayer Camp in Ghana.

Human rights abuses in mental health care are a global concern. Addressing the problem requires input from key stakeholders, particularly from people using mental health services. This study explored the experiences of persons with mental illness receiving care in a faith-based setting in Ghana.