ABSTRACT
Mental illness is prevalent in Ghana with an estimated population of over 3 million suffering from different forms of mental illness. The conceptions surrounding the causal explanation of mental illness, however, make the approaches adopted in managing or remedying it nuanced and more complex. In Ghana, and most parts of sub-Saharan Africa, mental illness is shrouded in beliefs about witchcraft, curses, and supernatural evil forces. This makes the sufferers of mental illness, their family relations and sometimes health practitioners, adopt not only a biomedical approach, but also spiritual approaches to remedy the mental illness. Following a period of six months of intensive fieldwork at two major prayer camps in Ghana, this study, through interviews with pastors, patients, and caregivers at the prayer camps, explored the experiences of individuals who have had chronic mental illness conditions. It also examined the role of culture, religion, spirituality and faith in the daily experience and management of mental illness and wellness. The data presented in this chapter suggest that despite the dilemma that surrounds the causal explanation of mental illness, the belief in mystical causality of the illness is more pervasive and, as a result, religious and spiritual resources accessed at prayer camps in Ghana, are believed to be effective in providing a powerful means of remediation. Patients often rely on such sacred spaces like the prayer camps to cope with their ailments. The findings show that the journey to remedy chronic mental health illness can be daunting and frustrating, due to the complex narrative production of diagnostic trial and error in seeking both medical and spiritual resources. The chapter concludes by arguing that religion and spirituality have served many participants well and remain an important factor when managing severe and persistent mental health conditions.
