A Study of the Diagnostic Practices for Mental Disorders in Ghana

A lack of awareness of the diagnosis of mental disorders exists in the Ghanaian community due to the general misconceptions about mental health. One major challenge in diagnosing mental disorders is that no blood test or scan can be performed to confirm a particular mental disorder, unlike other medical conditions such as cancer, malaria, diabetes, and hepatitis. A stepwise progressive observation and assessment to rule out all possible medical conditions that might be associated with a mental disorder is essential to enhance the quality of diagnosis and treatment. This study focuses on describing the diagnostic practices of mental disorders to educate the public, create awareness, and to improve diagnosis in Ghana. Objective: This paper aims to describe the current diagnostic practices used to diagnose mental disorders to understand the impact of the diagnosis of mental disorders and to provide evidence for mental health policy and planning to improve diagnostic practice in psychiatry in Ghana. Methods: We collected and described data on the diagnosis of mental disorders from 30 mental health professionals aged 20 years and above who were purposively selected from six hospitals. We carried out in-person structured interviews with all participants at their various hospital