The 2025 edition of the Wholesome Mind Summit has renewed national conversation around mental health, with key stakeholders urging that it be elevated from a charitable cause to a central pillar of Ghana’s development agenda.
Held on October 10, 2025, at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra to mark World Mental Health Day, the summit organized by Vint & Aletheia Attorneys and Consultants, brought together policymakers, mental health experts, legal practitioners, and the media under the theme “The Wholesome Mind Summit.”
Discussions centered on promoting psychological safety and holistic wellbeing among Ghanaians.
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Authority (MHA), Dr. Vivian Maame Abba Dadzie, called for a national mindset shift toward mental health, noting that it must no longer be viewed as a charitable venture but as a development imperative that affects every sector of society.
She observed that many Ghanaians continue to misunderstand mental health, often confusing it with mental illness. She explained that mental illness refers to clinical disorders such as schizophrenia or depression, while mental health is a broader state of emotional and psychological balance that affects all individuals.
Dr. Dadzie emphasized that everyone experiences varying degrees of mental distress daily, often triggered by common life experiences such as traffic stress, workplace pressure, or family challenges. She urged citizens to recognize early signs of distress and manage them effectively through healthy coping mechanisms.
She further called on policymakers and institutions to integrate mental health into national planning, healthcare systems, and budget allocations. According to her, many people who visit hospitals for physical symptoms such as headaches or fatigue may actually be dealing with underlying psychological issues. Routine mental health screening, she noted, could help identify and manage such cases before they worsen.
Touching on infrastructure, Dr. Dadzie acknowledged that Ghana still faces challenges in mental health facilities and resources but said the Mental Health Authority is working to bridge the gap.
She noted ongoing government support for mental health initiatives and reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to ensuring that psychological wellbeing becomes part of every national policy.
She highlighted key initiatives including training programs for community health workers, the establishment of suicide prevention and trauma-informed care centers, and the introduction of a 24-hour emergency hotline for individuals in distress.
Despite limited resources, she said the Authority is expanding access to services across the regions through collaboration with local health agencies.
In a related address, Kow Essuman, Chairman of Vint & Aletheia Attorneys and Consultants, underscored that mental health should be seen as a mark of strength rather than weakness, stressing that addressing it requires collective national commitment.
He noted that the legal profession, like many others, faces unique mental health challenges due to its demanding nature. He explained that lawyers often encounter clients dealing with emotional and psychological distress arising from family, financial, or social problems, underscoring the deep connection between legal advocacy and mental wellbeing.
Essuman recounted his visit to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, where he observed deteriorating conditions at the special ward built during the colonial Guggisberg era to house inmates from the criminal justice system. He called for urgent rehabilitation of such facilities to preserve the dignity and safety of patients.
He also pointed out that last year’s Wholesome Mind Summit contributed to a policy shift by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), which has since included select mental health conditions under the national insurance scheme, a major milestone in Ghana’s mental healthcare reform.
Essuman reaffirmed his firm’s commitment to mental health advocacy, explaining that Vint & Aletheia continues to collaborate with global partners to expand awareness and improve access to psychological support services nationwide.
The Wholesome Mind Summit has evolved into a key platform for driving national dialogue on mental health. This year’s event concluded with a call for stronger collaboration between government agencies, the private sector, civil society, and the media to destigmatize mental health and embed it within Ghana’s social and economic development framework.
By Prince Ahenkorah