ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Psychological and spiritual well-being of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder in Ghana

Background Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face significant psychological and spiritual challenges that impact their overall quality of life. This study explores the psychological well-being (e.g., mood instability, financial burdens) of adolescents with ASD, including mental health challenges and coping mechanisms. We also studied the role of spirituality (e.g., participation in religious activities) as a coping mechanism for adolescents with ASD within the Ghanaian cultural context. Methods This qualitative study utilized semi-structured interviews with 13 parents of adolescents with ASD in Accra, Ghana. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed thematically to identify patterns related to psychological well-being and spiritual practices as experienced by adolescents with ASD and their families. Results Two main themes emerged: (1) Psychological well-being of adolescents with autism, with parents reporting issues such as mood disturbances, depression, and social stigma affecting both adolescents and their families; and (2) Spiritual well-being, where religious engagement served as a coping resource, though sensory sensitivities posed participation challenges for some adolescents. Conclusion The study highlights the importance of accessible mental health resources and supportive spiritual communities for adolescents with ASD in Ghana. Community-based mental health services and inclusive spiritual support can help families address the psychological and spiritual needs of adolescents with autism more effectively.

Source: UG
Psychological burden and caregiver-reported non-adherence to psychotropic medications among patients with schizophrenia

The study examined the association between psychological distress, caregiving burden and caregiver-reported medication adherence in 444 informal family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. Participants were assessed on the Depression, Anxiety Stress Scale, Zarit Burden Interview and the Medication Adherence Report Scale. Caregivers reported a non-adherence rate of 54.5% among patients with schizophrenia. Poor adherence to antipsychotics was significantly associated with caregiver burden (p < 0.01) and experience of anxiety (p < 0.0001). The burden of caregiving should be considered during the assessment of adherence. The findings suggest a need for culturally appropriate interventions that improve antipsychotic adherence of outpatients with schizophrenia with specific attention to the burden of the caregiver.

Source: UG
Psychological contract breach and affective organizational commitment in small-sized hotels

Our paper develops and tests a research model that proposes that job satisfaction (JSAT), career satisfaction (CSAT) and work engagement (WENG) mediate the effect of psychological contract breach (PCB) on affective organizational commitment (AOC). Data were collected from small-sized hotel employees who occupy frontline positions in three waves in four cities in Ghana. The hypothesized linkages were assessed via structural equation modelling. The empirical data confirmed all the hypothesized relationships. Specifically, PCB had a negative impact on AOC. Additionally, JSAT, CSAT and WENG mediated the effect of PCB on AOC. Discussion of implications of the findings are included in the paper.

Source: UG
Psychological Contract Breach And Mental Health: The Role Of Equity Sensitivity And Self-Control

Purpose: This study aims to extend the literature on psychological contracts, employee mental health, self-control, and equity sensitivity among employees in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach – Data for this study came from a sample of 484 employees from an organisation in the telecommunications sector of Ghana. The details of the study were discussed with employees, after which they were given the choice to participate in the study. Findings: The present study found that psychological contract breach is directly associated with mental health and indirectly related to mental health through equity, sensitivity, and self-control. Originality/value – The findings suggest that psychological contracts are important aspects of the employment relationship that could be used to enhance employee mental health. Furthermore, enhancing employees’ self-control and resolving issues of individuals high on equity sensitivity are effective ways that Organizations can deploy to sustain mental health in the face of psychological contract breaches

Source: UG
Psychological contract breach and teachers’ organizational commitment: mediating roles of job embeddedness and leader-member exchange

Purpose – The study examined the relationship between psychological contract breach and organizational commitment and whether leader-member exchange and job embeddedness mediate this relationship. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopted a quantitative approach and is based on a sample of 298 teachers in basic schools in Accra, Ghana. Participants completed surveys with standardized measures on psychological contract breach, job embeddedness, leader-member exchange and organizational commitment. Hypothesized relationships were tested using structural equation modeling in AMOS 21.0. Findings – Psychological contract breach had a direct negative relationship with affective and normative commitment but had no significant direct relationship with continuance commitment. Psychological contract breach was indirectly related to affective and normative commitment through both job embeddedness and leader-member exchange, and indirectly related to continuance commitment through only job embeddedness. Practical implications – Findings from the study suggest that employers’ failure to fulfill their obligations to employees has significant potential cost to the organization, and underscore the need for managers, particularly in educational institutions, to institute measures to eliminate or minimize the occurrence of psychological contract breach. Originality/value – The study contributes to research examining antecedents of organizational commitment as well as the mechanisms linking psychological contract breach to organizational commitment in the educational context.

Source: UG
Psychological distance of climate change and mental health risks assessment of smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana: Is habituation a threat to climate change?

Although strong evidence shows climate change has physical impacts on human health, the mental health impacts appear unclear. The study aims to understand and explain the dynamic correlates between climate change and farmers’ emotional regulation practices, given psychological distance. Using 180 smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana, structural equation linear regression analysis showed that given psychological distance (geographical, social), different climate change indicators significantly influenced different emotional regulation practices among farmers. Although, studies show an association between climate change and climate change adaptation practices, the study revealed that, given psychological distance, emotional regulations of farmers predicted their preferences for different climate change adaptation techniques. It is concluded that the influence of climate change on farmers’ emotional regulation practices seems to predispose them to future mental (emotional) health problems. Emotional regulation also appears to be a significant factor that climate change and mental health interventionists need to pay attention to.

Source: UG
Psychological distress among community‑based mental health professionals in Ghana: prevalence and contributing factors

In Ghana, community-based mental health professionals (MHPs) are essential in providing mental health treatments, albeit in difcult circumstances. High workloads, a lack of institutional support, and resource constraints are among the factors in these professions’ elevated psychological distress. Using a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, this study investigated the prevalence and contributing factors of psychological distress among mental health professionals (MHPs) working in communities in Ghana. Using the DASS-21 scale, quantitative data were gathered from 300 MHPs, and the results showed that the prevalence of clinically signifcant levels of psychological distress (from mild to extremely severe) was 41.3% for anxiety, 36% for depression, and 32.7% for stress. Psychological distress was signifcantly infuenced by factors such as marital status and work experience. Qualitative interviews with 25 MHPs revealed more stressors that support the high prevalence rates, including workload and clients’ behaviour; resource and infrastructure constraints; stigma and afliate stigma; and lack of institutional support and isolation. The nature and extent of distress beyond depression, anxiety and stress gathered from MHPs’ perspectives were the experience of “intense distress” (acute), “per sistent distress” (chronic), and “emotional distress” (a component of burnout). Therefore, systemic adjustments, including better infrastructure, more fnancing for mental health services, and the creation of MHP-specifc support programmes, are needed to address the psychological distress of MHPs in Ghana.

Source: UG
Psychological distress in Ghana: Are unemployed people more afflicted?

The detrimental consequences of unemployment to the psychological well-being of people have been well documented. However, much of this research has been conducted for developed countries. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on this topic from a Ghanaian perspective. Our results revealed no significant association between unemployment and psychological distress. Rather, we found that part-time and full-time employees who were looking for a job were significantly more likely to suffer psychological distress. When we analysed the association between unemployment and psychological distress for males and females separately, we did not find a statistically significant relationship for either gender group.

Source: UG
Psychological distress in Ghana: associations with employment and lost productivity

Objectives Mental health disorders account for 13% of the global burden of disease, a burden that low-income countries are generally ill-equipped to handle. Research evaluating the association between mental health and employment in low-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, is limited. We address this gap by examining the association between employment and psychological distress. Methods We analyzed data from the Ghana Socioeconomic Panel Survey using logistic regression (N = 5,391 adults). In multivariable analysis, we estimated the association between employment status and psychological distress, adjusted for covariates. We calculated lost productivity from unemployment and from excess absence from work that respondents reported was because of their feelings of psychological distress. Findings Approximately 21% of adults surveyed had moderate or severe psychological distress. Increased psychological distress was associated with increased odds of being unemployed. Men and women with moderate versus mild or no psychological distress had more than twice the odds of being unemployed. The association of severe versus mild or no distress with unemployment differed significantly by sex (P-value for interaction 0.004). Among men, the adjusted OR was 12.4 (95% CI: 7.2, 21.3), whereas the association was much smaller for women (adjusted OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 2.5, 6.0). Extrapolating these figures to the country, the lost productivity associated with moderate or severe distress translates to approximately 7% of the gross domestic product of Ghana. Conclusions Psychological distress is strongly associated with unemployment in Ghana. The findings underscore the importance of addressing mental health issues, particularly in low-income countries.

Source: UG
Psychological distress in Ghana: associations with employment and lost productivity

Abstract Objectives Mental health disorders account for 13% of the global burden of disease, a burden that low-income countries are generally ill-equipped to handle. Research evaluating the association between mental health and employment in low-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, is limited. We address this gap by examining the association between employment and psychological distress. Methods We analyzed data from the Ghana Socioeconomic Panel Survey using logistic regression (N&#8201;=&#8201;5,391 adults). In multivariable analysis, we estimated the association between employment status and psychological distress, adjusted for covariates. We calculated lost productivity from unemployment and from excess absence from work that respondents reported was because of their feelings of psychological distress. Findings Approximately 21% of adults surveyed had moderate or severe psychological distress. Increased psychological distress was associated with increased odds of being unemployed. Men and women with moderate versus mild or no psychological distress had more than twice the odds of being unemployed. The association of severe versus mild or no distress with unemployment differed significantly by sex (P-value for interaction 0.004). Among men, the adjusted OR was 12.4 (95% CI: 7.2, 21.3), whereas the association was much smaller for women (adjusted OR&#8201;=&#8201;3.8, 95% CI: 2.5, 6.0). Extrapolating these figures to the country, the lost productivity associated with moderate or severe distress translates to approximately 7% of the gross domestic product of Ghana. Conclusions Psychological distress is strongly associated with unemployment in Ghana. The findings underscore the importance of addressing mental health issues, particularly in low-income countries.

Source: UG
Psychological Factors Associated With Mental Adjustment to Breast Cancer: A Hospital-Based Observational Study

This study examined mental adjustment to breast cancer, that is, coping strategies. Participants were 130 women undergoing breast cancer treatment in two medical settings in Accra, Ghana. They completed questionnaires assessing mental adjustment to cancer, psychological distress (anxiety and depression), negative religious coping, body change stress, and illness perceptions. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression. Results showed that patients who reported higher depression were more likely to engage in anxious preoccupation (worry and thinking about breast cancer). Higher depression was associated with a greater sense of helplessness/hopelessness. Moreover, patients higher in negative religious coping were more likely to experience a greater sense of helplessness/hopelessness. Illness perception facets of personal control and emotional response were positively associated with fatalism and anxious preoccupation, respectively. The results suggest that screening breast cancer patients for psychological morbidity could help identify patients with increased risks for maladaptive adjustment to the disease

Source: UG
Psychological health and religious coping of Ghanaian women with infertility

Background: Infertility has been shown to have considerable psychological effects on the well-being of couples, especially women. Religion has been found as a resource used by infertile women to cope with their distress. Little research has examined the influence of religious coping on psychological distress among infertile women in Ghana. This study examines the relationship between positive and negative religious coping and psychological health for women with infertility problems in Ghana. Methods: One hundred and fifty married women who were receiving assisted reproduction care in two specialized clinics were recruited for this study. Participants were administered with the Brief Symptom Inventory and Brief Religious Coping Scale to assess psychological health associated with infertility and religious coping respectively. A hierarchical regression was performed to examine the relative contribution of the domains of psychological health (i.e. somatization, anxiety and depression) in predicting negative religious coping and positive religious. Results: The results showed that negative religious coping was significant and positively correlated with somatization, depression and anxiety. Furthermore, a positive relationship also existed between positive religious coping and somatization and anxiety but not depression. After controlling for age and duration of infertility, somatization and anxiety predicted positive religious coping whilst all the domains of psychological health (somatization, anxiety and depression) precited negative religious coping. Conclusions: This study expanded on the existing literature by examining positive and negative religious coping with psychological distress associated with infertility for women. These results underscore the need for health professionals providing therapies for women with infertility to acknowledge and consider their religious beliefs as this influences their mental health. © 2017 The Author(s).

Source: UG
Psychological identification with job: a leadership-OCB mediator

Purpose This study aims to examine influence of transformational and transactional leadership styles on employees’ organisational citizenship behaviours (OCBs), as well as the mediating role of job involvement in the Ghanaian hospitality industry. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered from 258 employees in some selected hotels and restaurants in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana through a survey and analysed using covariance-based structural equation modelling. Findings The results indicated that both leadership styles influenced employees’ OCBs positively. Furthermore, job involvement positively influenced OCB and mediated between transformational leadership and OCB but not between transactional leadership and employees’ OCBs. Practical implications The study reaffirms the importance of employees’ OCBs and recommends that hotels and restaurants must encourage their supervisors to exhibit more transformational leadership behaviours (motivational, inspirational and visionary behaviours), as well as a combination of transformational and transactional leadership behaviours which can influence their employees to go beyond formal requirements, and get more involved in their jobs to the benefit of the organisations. Originality/value This study reveals the extent to which internal motivations of employees, specifically their job involvement, causes their extra-role behaviours and influences the leaders–OCB relationships from a developing country perspective.

Source: UG
Psychological impact of cerebral palsy on families: The African perspective

Background: Psychological stress associated with cerebral palsy (CP) is known to be one of the most depressing conditions of families. In the traditional African society, some peculiar factors may contribute to the stress. Aims: The aims of this study were to identify and describe, from the African perspective, the psychological impact of CP on families and determine the strategies adopted by families in coping with it. Settings and Design: The study was a cross-sectional descriptive survey conducted in the Physiotherapy Department of a tertiary hospital. Materials and Methods: Participants were 52 parents of children with CP. They completed a questionnaire designed to determine the degree of psychological stress on the families and strategies adopted to cope with the stress. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistics were used to show responses in graphical formats. Results: Respondents agreed that having adequate knowledge of CP would help them cope well with the demands of taking care of children with CP. 38.5% of respondents said that people in the society accused them of some wrongdoing that has made their children to have CP. Personal problems experienced include loss of job, lack of concentration at work, loss of family joy, and derangement of financial affairs of the family. 26 (50%) of them resort to religious/spiritual intervention as an alternative or complementary mode of treatment for their children while 28% resort to dependence on the extended family system for support. Conclusion: Families caring for children with CP generally have a positive attitude towards their children. However, there is need to educate the public on the causes of CP and treatment options available to families.

Source: UG
Psychological treatments for depression among women experiencing intimate partner violence: findings from a randomized controlled trial for behavioral activation in Goa, India

Intimate partner violence (IPV) strongly predicts depression, but it is unknown if women experiencing IPV can benefit from depression treatments in contexts where depression and IPVare prevalent. This study explored whether women experiencing IPV in Goa, India, can benefit from the Healthy Activity Program (HAP), a culturally adapted behavioral activation treatment, compared with enhanced usual care (EUC). Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were performed on data from a clinical trial. Measures assessed at baseline and 3 and 12 months included depressive symptoms. Measures assessed at 3 and 12 months included activation and IPV. Independent t tests were conducted to assess if participants experiencing IPV had higher depressive symptoms and lower activation at 3 and 12 months; hierarchical linear regression was conducted to determine if 3-month IPV predicted 12-month depressive symptoms across trial arms (Hypothesis 1). Hierarchical linear regression was then conducted to examine if the relationship between 3-month activation and 12-month depressive symptoms was moderated by 3-month IPV within each trial arm (Hypothesis 2). As expected, participants experiencing IPV had significantly lower activation levels and higher depressive symptoms compared with participants who did not experience IPV at 3 and 12 months in cross-sectional analyses. Similarly, IPVendorsed at 3 months significantly predicted depressive symptoms at 12 months. However, activation was significantly associated with less severe depressive symptoms at 12 months, irrespective of IPVendorsement among HAP participants. For EUC participants, IPV remained the only significant predictor of depressive symptoms at 12 months. Results suggest that women experiencing IPV can still benefit from behavioral activation.

Source: UG