By Buertey Francis BORYOR
Founder and Managing Attorney of VINT and Aletheia Attorneys and Consultants, Lady-Ann Essuman, has encouraged employers to prioritise the mental and occupational safety and health (OSH) policies of workers in their establishments.
Delivering her keynote address at the Wholesome Mind Summit 2024 in Accra on October 10, 2024, Ms. Essuman said failing to cultivate a culture on workplace well-being and productivity can result in mental health issues, which can have a substantial influence on staff productivity, teamwork and overall satisfaction.
“Mental health issues of workers world over are often dismissed as personal problems rather than work-related risk. For this reason, we – at VINT and Aletheia – thought it was important to give back to our community by educating the public on mental health. However, we could not do it alone and so we reached out to our key stakeholders in academia, media and corporate entities for support,” she added.
The Wholesome Mind Summit 2024 – organised by VINT and Aletheia Attorneys and Consultants in partnership with key stakeholders, including the Mental Health Authority, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry, University of Ghana Medical School – brought together mental health professionals, advocates and industry leaders to address the growing mental health challenges in the country.
The event aimed to improve access to mental healthcare and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues. Additionally, it sought to create a safe space to spark the conversation on the importance of mental health in the workplace while promoting its advocacy, policy creation and providing ways to support individuals facing mental health challenges.
It was also to ensure that there is a broader understanding and recognition of the importance of mental health within the workplace and community.
Its key features included keynote addresses, panel discussions and interactive workshops – all designed to ignite conversation, drive action and afford participants an opportunity to network with experts in the field.
The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day is ‘It is Time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace’; and the First Lady , Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, was the special guest of honour at the event.
Mental health remains a significant concern in the country, with the World Health Organisation highlighting its importance to socio-economic development.
