Joseph Kofi Aidoo, a specialist psychiatrist at the Madina Polyclinic in Accra, has said the Greater Accra Region is experiencing a high incidence of cases of depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders.
Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.
According to Aidoo, more tertiary students are shying away from certain academic activities such as presentations because of anxiety disorder.
The phenomenon is a health disorder characterised by feelings of worry, anxiety or fear that are strong enough to interfere with one’s daily activities.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show for the Mental Health Awareness Month education campaign on Thursday (9 May), Aidoo advised the public to take issues of mental health seriously.
“For Accra in general, right now, we are having more of the depressive cases.
“[With] people who have depressive or anxiety disorders, you realise that most of the people have social phobia where there is a fear to stand in front of people and present.
“… most university students have it: so, people who dodge presentations and are afraid to present in a group. And now [there are] substance use disorders. [These are] the kind of things we are seeing, the kind of drugs that have been sneaked in recently,” Dr Aidoo said.
Listen to Rev Dr Joseph Kofi Aidoo in the audio clip attached below:
Reporting by Fred Dzakpata in Accra
Asaase Radio 99.5 broadcasts on radio via 99.5 in Accra, 98.5 in Kumasi, 99.7 in Tamale, 100.3 in Cape Coast and on our affiliates Azay FM 89.1 in Takoradi, Bead FM 99.9 in Bimbilla, Mining City 89.5 in Tarkwa, Sissala Radio 96.3 in Tumu, Somuaa FM 89.9 in Gushegu, Stone City 90.7 in Ho, Wale FM 106.9 in Walewale and Nyatefe Radio 94.50 in Dzodze.
Tune in to Broadcasts online: asaaseradio.com, Sound Garden and TuneIn
Follow us on: Twitter: Accra-@asaaseradio995, Kumasi-@asaase985ksi, Tamale@asaase997tamale, Cape-Coast@asaase1003, AsaasePa1073
Instagram: Accra-asaaseradio995, Kumasi-Asaase985ksi, Cape Coast-asaase1003, Tamale -asaase997tamale, Asaasepa107.3
Linkedin: company/asaaseradio995
TikTok: @asaaseradio99.5
Live streaming: Facebook.com – asaase99.5 (Accra), asaase985ksi (Kumasi), Asaase100.3 (Cape Coast), asaase99.7 (Tamale), AsaasePa107.3. Also on YouTube: AsaaseXtra.
Join the conversation. Call Accra: 020 000 9951 or 0548888995. Or WhatsApp: 020 000 0995; Call Kumasi: 0594157985 or WhatsApp: 0206315260s Call or WhatsApp Cape Coast: 0593882652
#AsaaseRadio
#AsaasePa
#TheVoiceofOurLand
