Assessing Barriers to Mental Healthcare Interventions for Deaf People in Ghana

While mental health issues are increasingly gaining attention in Ghana, little is known about the situation among deaf people. This study assessed the mental health care needs of deaf people in Ghana. A descriptive design, consisting of interviews and focus group discussions, was used to collect data from 97 participants. Findings indicated that participants had limited knowledge on mental health issues. Mental health stigma, inaccessible mental health information and exclusion from mental health programmes were the major barriers hindering access to mental health care services. This study bridges the knowledge gap and provides evidence for the implementation of deaf-friendly services.

Double Tragedy: Examining the Effects of Mental Health Stigma on Help Seeking Behaviour among Deaf People in Ghana

Background: Globally, mental health is recognized as one of the major public health issues, and mental health stigma is one of the main barriers to mental healthcare. While several studies have been conducted on the stigma associated with mental health, very little is known about the mental health stigma experienced by deaf persons with mental health conditions in Ghana. This study examines the experiences of double stigmatization by deaf people with mental health conditions in Ghana. Methodology: A descriptive, mixed method data collection was used for seventy-nine (79) participants. The paper presents findings from the only qualitative component of the study. Results: The findings from the study showed that deaf people with mental illness experienced double stigma, namely being stigmatized for being deaf and for having mental illness. This hindered access to mental health services for deaf people with mental health condition. Conclusion: Deaf people with mental health conditions experience double stigmatization which discourages them from seeking professional psychiatric care. This implies that efforts to reduce mental health stigma and create awareness on deafness should be improved upon. It is recommended that, in view of the impact of stigma on the provision and use of mental health care services, strategies to improve access to mental health care, should seriously consider concerns about stigma.

Sign Language Protection for Deaf People from the Perspective of Linguistic Rights: Challenges and Responses

Human society is becoming more and more inclusive, diverse, and open-minded, which has led to the increasing recognition of linguistic rights as a basic human right Around the world, many countries have recognized the status of their national sign language at the legal level However, sign languages and their main users, the Deaf, are still facing many challenges At the macro level, sign languages are neglected by mainstream culture, causing them to be endangered At the micro level, communication barriers make it extremely hard for Deaf people to express their demands A series of language plans can be designed to effectively deal with the challenges above, including social language plans, family language plans, and school language plans.