The Palgrave Handbook of Mental Health Practice in Sub-Saharan Africa [Hardcover]

The focus of this handbook is to highlight the key issues in addressing the challenges and opportunities to promote mental health is Sub-Saharan Africa. A unique feature of this work is the privileging of African voices in expressing the strengths, vulnerabilities, and unique approaches which have been found within the Sub-Saharan context. The handbook is broken into three sections. The first introduces the handbook and the general issues and concepts discussed. The second describes diverse community outreach and mental health interventions applied by the contributors in diverse Sub-Saharan Africa countries and contexts and addressing a range of mental health topics. The third focuses on systemic issues that affect mental health service delivery, with recommendations provided. Opportunities for creating new models for sharing practices and disseminating knowledge generated by Sub-Saharan African practitioners for their culture and contexts are discussed.

Chapter 1. Introduction to the Handbook.- Chapter 2. Review of the Lessons from the Mental Health Care in a Public Health Context Short Course.- Chapter 3. Developing New Models of Inclusive Practice.- Chapter 4. Mental Illness and Contextual Differences.- Chapter 5. Culture and Mental Health.- Chapter 6. Promoting Women's Mental Health in Low-Income Communities.- Chapter 7. Tackling Mental Illness at an Early Stage.- Chapter 8. How Belief Systems Affect Behaviours and Attitudes Towards Accessing Mental Health Care Services in Ghana.- Chapter 9. African Traditional Versus Modern Medicine in The Treatment of Mental Illness: The Need for Coordination and Synergy.- Chapter 10. Spiritual Belief Structures and Wellness: The Role of Religion in Promoting Adolescent Mental Health in Ghana.- Chapter 11. Supporting the Mental Health Professional.- Chapter 12. Supporting Informal Caregivers of Persons with Mental Disorders in Sub-Saharan Africa.- Chapter 13. Opioid Use Disorder in Sub-Saharan Africal³3