Strengthening Maternal Mental Health in Ghana - Situational analysis of maternal mental health services in Ghana
The mental health of mothers and the physical development, especially nutrition, of their infants are inextricably linked. Maternal Mental Health (MMH) is a critical mediator between social adversity and poor infant growth. Even though sufficient evidence exists on the adverse impact of maternal mental health disorder on the mother and infant, and the high prevalence of the disorder in Ghana, there is little provision in the country's current healthcare system for its screening, early detection and effective management.
There is a need to integrate maternal mental health interventions within health systems from the level of the community and across all levels of healthcare. In that regard, this situational analysis aimed to review the literature, existing policies, and state of maternal mental healthcare with the view to identify gaps for recommendations towards the integration of maternal mental health into routine maternity care in Ghana.
