Presentation Information
[P-12-06]Bridging the Gap: Evaluating the Role of Community-Based Psychiatric Nursing in Reducing Mental Health Stigma in Ghana
*John Appau, Mark Boateng (Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital(Ghana))
Keywords:
Community-based psychiatric nursing,Mental health stigma,Ghana,Psychiatric treatment access,Mental health policy
Mental health care in Africa, particularly in Ghana, continues to face significant challenges, including stigma, limited resources, and a shortage of mental health professionals. Despite policy advances such as the Mental Health Act of 2012, community perception and access to quality psychiatric care remain major barriers. This study explores the role of community-based psychiatric nursing in reducing mental health stigma and improving access to psychiatric treatment in Ghana, using the Pantang Psychiatric Hospital and its outreach programs as a case study.The objective of this research was to assess how decentralized mental health services, led by trained psychiatric nurses, can reshape societal attitudes, promote early intervention, and reduce treatment gaps in both urban and rural settings. A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving structured interviews with 30 psychiatric nurses, surveys with 200 community members, and focus group discussions with mental health patients and caregivers.Findings reveal that community-based psychiatric nurses play a pivotal role in normalizing conversations about mental health, encouraging treatment-seeking behavior, and dispelling myths around mental illness. However, nurses face constraints such as inadequate logistics, cultural resistance, and emotional burnout. Notably, communities exposed to regular nurse-led sensitization programs showed a 45% increase in mental health service utilization and a measurable decline in stigma indicators.The study concludes that scaling up community psychiatric nursing, with stronger institutional support and public engagement, is a viable and transformative strategy for advancing mental health care in Ghana and other low-resource African settings. It calls for urgent policy alignment, increased investment, and regional replication of successful models