Jahara Osman was a child with questions no one could answer. Restless in school and misunderstood at home. She was not disobedient. She was just different. But like many Ghanaian children navigating undiagnosed conditions, she was never given the words to understand what was happening in her mind.

Now, as founder of the Premier Rehabilitation Centre and a passionate mental health advocate, Jahara is working to ensure that other children, parents and adults do not remain silent in their suffering.

"As someone who grew up in an environment where mental health was never spoken about, my parents had no idea what or how to define my behaviour or how I approached life. It was a general treatment amongst all my siblings."

“So I find passion in educating parents, especially parents with children that are on the spectrum – autism, ADHD, bipolar, and all other mental health conditions – on how to go about understanding the behaviour, picking up the little clues, because you would know more than any practitioner or doctor would, because you spend more time with your child than any doctor. So you being able to identify it would be the initial step to making your child's life a lot easier,” she indicated.

That silence, she says, is costing lives and dignity.

On Saturday, 31st May, 2025, Jahara will host The Mental Health Forum, a nationwide gathering at the Accra International Conference Centre, aimed at breaking that silence once and for all. The event will feature panels with doctors, religious leaders, mental health survivors and wellness professionals. But more than that, it will open the floor for everyday Ghanaians to speak their truths.

"So I think that the government needs to put in a lot more. I know they're trying. Just like I thought a year and a half ago, we had the National Health Insurance include mental health and psychology in the insurance, free insurance for people, which is a wonderful job. But I think we need to do more because access to psychologists and therapy is very, very difficult and expensive, especially for people who cannot afford it. We really need to bridge a gap where we have easy access to therapy and psychological or psychiatric help," Jahara Osman said.

Jahara’s advocacy is deeply personal. Diagnosed later in life with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder, she spent years navigating a system that did not understand her. That experience fuelled her commitment to support those who do not fit into society’s 'normal' boxes.

"I think we understand that we have a mental health crisis. For us to have speciality hospitals that are dedicated to mental health means that we are aware of the situation. I understand that we are actually also struggling with funds in different aspects of the medical facilities and hospitals we deal with."

"But what we have to understand is that mental health is the core foundation of every disease. If you're not mentally stable, you can get any sickness from just not being mentally stable. It's like the base of everything. So let's focus on getting our own brain, our own functions, to a stable level, and we will find out that a lot of these diseases we suffer from will just eliminate themselves."

The forum, which is free and open to the public, will also kick off a new campaign: bringing mental health education to churches, classrooms and company boardrooms across Ghana.

The initiative comes at a time when mental health issues are rising globally, and Ghana is not immune. From exam-related stress among teens to burnout among professionals and trauma among survivors of abuse, the spectrum is wide and growing. But access to care remains low and stigma his igh.

Support for Jahara’s work is coming from all corners – including the Ministry of Health, the Mental Health Authority and private foundations invested in youth development and public wellness.

The forum will be broadcast live on JoyNews at 12 noon.

If you have ever felt overwhelmed, confused or emotionally stuck, this forum is for you.