Since 2021, there have been over 1,300 cases of mental health issues reported within the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) annually.
According to the data, alcoholism is the most common disorder, and officers make up 70% of the cases. These come from post-COVID-19 statistics that were taken between 2021 and last year.
Following the release of the numbers, Major General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), ordered the GAF’s Department of Medical Services to launch a strong campaign to lower the number of mental health cases among the armed forces.
“Mental health cases in the Ghana Armed Forces have increased since 2017, with 614 cases—both male and female—recorded by the end of 2019.”
But after COVID-19, data have showed a significant rise, with an average of 1,300 instances year from 2021 to 2023, and almost 70% of those cases being male. stated Maj. Gen. Oppong-Peprah.
The CDS said, “The most concerning indication is that alcohol use disorder is at the top of the list,” during a conference held yesterday in Accra to mark the conclusion of the first-ever GAF Men’s Mental Health Awareness Week.
“Promoting the Mental Health of Men in a Gender Sensitive Armed Forces” was the theme of the conference.
Despite the fact that mental health disorders continue to be among the most debilitating problems facing humanity, Maj. Gen. Oppong-Peprah stated that the army rarely acknowledged these issues.
He claimed that many people had suicide thoughts as a result of the stigma’s widespread negative effects.
These officers occasionally committed suicide as a result of their refusal to ask for assistance.
The World Health Organization reports that worldwide, men are more than twice as likely as women to commit suicide.
The CDS raised concern that men reported fewer cases of depression, a condition that is thought to be a key risk factor for suicide, despite the high suicide incidence.
He attributed the difficulty primarily to societally entrenched gender roles.
He claimed that men were under too much strain since they were given so many tasks.
Maj. Gen. Oppong-Peprah stated that while many of them would be unwilling to ask for assistance because they are stigmatized, some might not even be aware that they have mental health problems.
Thus, he exhorted the staff to look out for one another and to speak up and express their feelings honestly and freely without fear of reprisal.
In order to live healthier lives moving forward, the CDS urged everyone to “avoid substance abuse, excessive alcohol, gambling, and unnecessary spending” and to “organize our finances.”
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