Whenever society talks about the most vulnerable, women and children are the central idea, but society never takes into consideration the plight of the mentally retarded.
This is because they are considered a threat to people, and some even wish they are gotten rid of by society. Little does society know that a little help and consideration given to them will go a long way to change their situation. Just like the plight of women and children has been dealt with through the enactment of the Domestic Violence Act, the plight of the mentally retarded has to be dealt with as well.
The mentally retarded person is the least respected and the most humiliated and disregarded. People with mental disabilities are often left to their fate in this part of the world, while the unlucky ones are left to roam the streets and fend for themselves. They feed on all kinds of unhealthy food, be it from the gutters, rubbish dumps, or the environment. In most instances, children cast stones at them, and the adult pour all kinds of substances on them.
Every now and then, the majority of people refuse to think that being a victim of mental health is not a choice, and that the possibility of anyone being a victim is there. If that be the case, why does society not help in the support of the enactment of the Mental Health Act, so that people will not find themselves that wanting and miserable when in such positions.
Mental disorders and society
Mental disorder can be defined as a psychological or behavioural pattern that occurs in an individual, and causes distress or disability that is not expected as part of normal development or culture. Though medical experts have explicit reasons behind any mental problem, society most times disregards these explanations. In Ghana, mental disorder is mostly associated with superstition, with some people associating it with a curse or family problems. It is also believed that mentally retarded persons are either demon possessed, or their disorder is caused by witches in people's families, and that medical experts can be of no help, so end up leaving them in prayer camps.
Due to these superstitious beliefs, people always get uncomfortable helping them out when they are in need of basic things such as food, clothes or money. Society has come out with the notion that in helping any of these mentally retarded persons, one is throwing away his lucky prospects, since these so-called demon possessed mentally disorders can destroy your prospects spiritually.
The stigma society has attached to the mental disorders makes it extremely difficult for some families to come out openly for help, when a member encounters any disorder. This is because society will begin to have all forms of bad perceptions about the family. Families, knowing this, always prefer to abandon their relations in prayer camps, or the hospitals.
Forms of mental disorder
Mental illness is the commonest ailment in the world, just as it is defined. Each passing day many people in all walks of life have their mentality disordered. Many a time, the layman and even the society considers the mentally disordered, as the man roaming the streets talking to himself, and clad in dirty and tattered clothes. Mental disorder occurs in various forms, and according to Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation website, mental disorder can be in a form of panic disorder.
That is the sudden onset of paralyzing terror, or impending doom, with symptoms that closely resemble a heart attack. Moreover, phobias, which are an excessive fear of particular objects, and obsessive-compulsive disorder - persistent distressing thoughts and a major depression - an extreme or prolonged episode of sadness in which a person loses interest or pleasure in previously enjoyed activities.
Everyone is at risk of mental health problems, but with different levels of disorder, it is therefore in the interest of society to support in making the mental bill an act, than to continue with the frequent stigmatisation of those with severe cases of mental health.
Situation of the mentally disordered
The issue of the mentally retarded is considered least by society, even the government and policy makers. Their presence in the society is considered a nuisance, and a form of societal unrest to people, so they are always underrated and their rights taken for granted. Since the mentally retarded is considered non-productive, their wellbeing is not considered important. It is always regarded a waste of resources when their health and economic condition is raised during policy making.
A nation as big as Ghana, has only three psychiatric hospitals, namely the Accra Psychiatric, Ankaful and Pantang hospitals, with very little bed capacity, and all unfortunately are located down south, within three hours of one another.
The present condition of these hospitals is not something one should be proud of. Even though they have to be given the maximum medical attention, there are very few psychiatrists taking care of them. In August 2008, the Acting Chief Psychiatrist of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Dr. Akwasi Osei, made mention that mental health personnel were currently in acute short supply. There are only fourteen consultant psychiatrists, with eleven of them already retired. All these 14 are, again, mostly located down south.
The country requires at least seventy psychiatrists spread all over the country. There are only about six hundred psychiatric nurses, while the country needs at least two thousand clinical psychiatric nurses, and about six hundred community psychiatric nurses. There are just about twenty clinical psychologists in the Ministry of Health alone. There is only one retired occupational therapist, where not less than fifteen of them are needed. The list can continue for other mental health personal who are lacking in the system.
The mentally retarded and basic needs
BasicNeeds, as always, has the interest of the mentally disordered at heart, and is training primary healthcare providers in diagnosing and the treatment of mental illness and epilepsy. Their increased awareness and competence allows them to handle cases of mental illness and epilepsy, and to coordinate service with psychiatric nurses. It is working with psychiatric professionals on better understanding and effectiveness. BasicNeeds, as well, trains community workers who play a crucial role in delivering community-based mental health service.
The mental health bill
The Mental Health Bill when promulgated into an act will help change the conditions of the mentally retarded. According to Dr. J. B. Asare, former Chief Psychiatrist of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, the bill addresses decentralisation of mental healthcare, and covers mental healthcare in the community, spiritual and traditional settings. It as well allows supervision and revision of mental health practices. As it has the good of these people in mind, it would compel government and policy makers to include them in policy making. The bill, when turned into an act, would give the mentally retarded a better position in the society.
More and better hospital facilities would be provided for them, and sleeping on a wet floor and using a limited number of washrooms would be a thing of the past. Their rights, as well, would not be trampled upon, since it clearly states that a person with mental disorder has the right to enjoy a decent life as a normal person, and as full as possible, which includes the right to education, vocational training, leisure, recreational activities, full employment, and participation in civil, economic, social, cultural and political activities, and any specific limitation on these rights shall be in accordance with the assessment of capacity.
Conclusion
If the bill is passed, these people and the nation as a whole will make good use of it, since their treatment will serve as a boom in the number the labour force. The bill which is intended to enhance the state of the mentally disorder will in a way bring sanctity the environment as the number of these vulnerable to be loitering around will be limited. The mentally retarded deserve some form of right; they being vulnerable does not exempt them from enjoying the right they deserve. They need more rights and a better environment to leave in just like any other normal human being. It is therefore of extreme important to make this bill an act, and start implementing it.
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