Coping, directed by Ghanaian film maker Edem Dotse, is a short film that looks at issues of mental health from the perspective of the mentally challenged. In this award-winning film, there is tension between Samuel and Serwaa Quartey, the nephew and wife of an unnamed schizophrenic man, when Serwaa decides to send her husband to a prayer camp for deliverance from his mental health challenges. One cannot help but feel for Serwaa who argues that injections for her sick husband now cost ten times what they used to cost and that has resulted in her sacrificing all she has for her husband. She has therefore run out of money and has decided to try the cheaper option which is the prayer camp. A young Samuel continues to insist that if the schizophrenic man continues to take his medicines, he will get well. This results in a confrontation between aunt and nephew which the aunt seems to be winning with the support of prophet Danso till the schizophrenic man outwits Samuel and escapes from the house. The movie ends with the aunt, Samuel, the prophet and his team all going in different directions in search of the schizophrenic man.
Even though Serwaa wants to send her husband to the prayer camp, she wonders how long her husband will be away, to which Prophet Danso responds that “he will be gone for as long as it takes. You need to have faith Serwaa. This is a spiritual battle.” When asked how often family members can visit, the prophet responds that “We don’t normally allow visitors in the camp but once he is settled, we will see what we can do.” As to who determines a sick person is settled and the characteristics of a “settled” person, viewers are not told. This prophet is so sure of the spiritual origins of the mental sickness that he tells Samuel that: “A few weeks ago, the Holy Spirit spoke to me. He said your uncle is beyond medical help. Your uncle rejected God and worshipped books.” For this prophet, the man is suffering a mental breakdown as punishment from God for being an academic and spending so much time with books.
Accra psychiatric hospital, one of the foremost mental hospitals in Ghana has been indebted to many institutions and medical suppliers due to the withdrawal of government support for some years. As of 2016, the hospital was indebted to the tune of four million cedis, approximately, $1,000,000. Even though the government of the time promised to pay the debt, as of July 2017, the chief executive officer of the hospital warned that the hospital may soon close down due to lack of funds. Pantang hospital, another leading mental health facility in Ghana, is enduring similar challenges as Accra psychiatric hospital. As of November 2017, the hospital was indebted to the tune of three hundred and fifty million cedis, approximately $87, 500,000. Their chief executive officer came out to plead with the government to pay their debts as some suppliers had threatened to sue to institutions.
With such challenges facing mental hospitals, one begins to wonder how individuals can cope with the cost of mental health breakdowns treated in the mental hospitals. The prayer camps, then become the most cost-effective option due to their limited cost and the fact that families can rid themselves of the stigma attached to having a relative with a mental health issue. Maybe, the way forward might be as shared by Angela Ofori-Atta that due to people’s belief systems that mental health illnesses have a spiritual source, the way forward might be a collaboration between psychology and psychiatric departments, Ghana health service and the prayer camps. Given the work presented at our recent CIHA Blog Conference in Senegal, perhaps traditional healers need to be part of this collaboration as well.
Coping, does very well to present the challenges facing families, the mental health institutions and mental health patients in Ghana and it is hoped that such an eye-opening film will spur a nation into action especially in the passing of the mental health bill which will ensure that governments provide the necessary funds to support mental health institutions in the country.