Don’t stigmatise women with mental health challenge — DDP Ashong-Mettle

 A Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP), Yayra Ashong-Mettle, is urging society to refrain from stigmatising women with mental health disorders.

Rather, such persons, she stressed, must be empowered and approach issues regarding such people with resilience.

DDP Ashong-Mettle, an Officer-In-Charge of the Senior Correctional Centre, gave the advice during an interaction with female officers at the Senior Correctional Centre in Accra last week,

Addressing both senior and junior female officers at the station, she noted that, mental health was a critical aspect of an individual’s overall well-being, but often overlooked in the society.

The Officer-In-Charge also disclosed that, men­tal health issues were often stigmatised and mis­understood in the society, simply due to cultural beliefs and lack of awareness.

She enumerated depression, stress, anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as some of the forms of mental health disorders officers’ deal with, adding that it was important to inten­sify awareness in order to help combat it.

Stigma to the aforementioned mental disor­ders, she emphasised, could often lead to social exclusion, loneliness and feeling of shame which could in the long-run worsen the issue.

She urged women in the society to collectively help in combating stigma related issues concerning female mental health disorders and also safeguard their mental well-being.

“Let us avoid the use of derogatory terms that perpetuates stigma to mental health, because it affects productivity at work and affects relation­ships”, the OIC expatiated.

Also, Dr Erica Dickson, a Clinical Psychologist at the 37 Military Hospital, urged officers and women to safeguard their mental well-being as a priority and galvanised them not to be overwhelmed with stress.

Dr Dickson again encouraged women to boldly come out from every mental disorder to seek psy­chological support from experts in order to have a productive life devoid of mental disorder.

Superintendent Dr Florence Djoeletoe, a Med­ical Doctor with the Ghana Prisons Service, who facilitated the programme with support from DSP Jessica Lartey and other officers, thrilled female officers with fun activities to climax the Gender Week Celebration marked by SCC.

Activities include basic makeup and baking tutorials coupled with an artistic “Sip and Paint” sessions to amuse officers as part of stress manage­ment.

Senior male officers who were specially invited were DDP Dr Adama Okai, the Chaplain General of the Ghana Prisons Service and Assistant Director of Prisons, Roland Suurbesig, Second-In-Command of the Senior Correctional Centre and ASP Enoch Kusi Boadum.

 By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah