Consultant Psychiatrist and Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Authority Dr Eugene Dordoye, has emphasised that epilepsy is a neurological condition, not a mental health disorder, in a bid to clear misconceptions surrounding the disease in Ghana.

Speaking on AM Show on March 19, Dr Dordoye explained that epilepsy should be understood as a brain disorder rather than a mind disorder.

“Epilepsy is not a mental health condition. It is a neurological disease, a brain disorder, not a mind disorder. Historically, mental health nurses have been attending to epilepsy cases, which makes it appear as though it is part of mental health. But in reality, it is very different,” he said.

“In the country, epilepsy seems to have the bulk of cases, even though most of them are not in the hospitals. But when it comes to hospitals, there are cases we have to admit because they are significant enough to require inpatient care,” Dr Dordoye noted.

The Psychiatrist also took the opportunity to clarify which conditions fall under mental health care.

“For mental health, the common cases we see in hospitals include thinking disorders, such as psychosis and schizophrenia, where patients have lost touch with reality. Another common group is mood disorders, including bipolar disorder,” he explained.

Dr Dordoye stressed that distinguishing epilepsy from mental health conditions is critical for ensuring proper care and treatment.