Within the last four years (2022-2025), more than 2,000 people were diagnosed with bipolar disorder in three regions in the country.

The regions — Ashanti, Greater Accra and Central — consistently recorded not less than 2,000 cases over the period, a situation that has been described as worrying.

The Deputy Director of Health Promotion at the Mental Health Authority, Dr Yaw Amankwa Arthur, disclosed this at a capacity-building session for guidance and counselling coordinators and school health programme coordinators in the Ablekuma West Municipal Education Directorate in Accra, yesterday.

It was organised by the Mental Health Authority as part of activities to commemorate this year’s World Bipolar Day.

It was aimed at equipping school authorities with the requisite knowledge to identify symptoms early, and to also support affected students, as part of the authority’s broader commitment to improving mental health awareness and ensuring that conversations around bipolar disorder were accurate, respectful and devoid of stigma, discrimination and embarrassment.

Condition

Dr Arthur said the bipolar condition remained widely misunderstood, contributing to stigma and delayed treatment.

He explained that everyday stressors and lifestyle factors could predispose individuals to mental health conditions, making awareness and self-care essential.

Dr Arthur further said that mental health conditions had implications for national development, citing research which shows that mental health costs accounted for about seven per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He, therefore, called on organisations and individuals to invest in mental health awareness and care, since collective action would enhance national productivity.

Treatment

Dr Arthur said mental health services had been integrated into primary healthcare, making access to support more readily available across the country.

He reiterated the need for continuous public education to ensure early detection, reduce stigma and improve outcomes for people living with bipolar disorder.

Dr Arthur also said bipolar disorder could be managed through medication, therapy, or a combination of both, and urged the public to seek early treatment at health facilities to make it easier to manage and treat.

Stigma

In a speech read on his behalf, the acting Director of the authority, Dr Eugene K. Dordoye, said reducing stigma and discrimination was critical to encouraging persons living with bipolar disorder to seek help without fear.

He also said that there was a need to strengthen collaboration between the health and education sectors to promote mental health awareness, particularly among young people, including providing appropriate support systems in schools and communities.

For his part, the Ablekuma West Municipal Director of Education, Christian Julius Aforlah, commended the authority for the initiative.

“We have about 155 teachers who are benefiting from this training; it will help them create awareness and know how to handle learners,” he said.

The director also said that the programme would be expanded to cover all teachers in the municipality, adding that more than 500 teachers were expected to benefit in subsequent phases.