Dr Ursula Read with Sonia Poleon, radio host at Colourful Radio. 20 June 2018.

On 20 June 2018, Dr Ursula Read, research associate with Work Stream 2, was interviewed by Sonia Poleon on Colourful Radio, which targets Black Caribbean and African audiences. Listen to the broadcast recording below:

Ursula spoke about her research into mental health in Ghana including the difficulties for families in caring for a relative with severe mental illness, use of traditional and faith healers, and Ghana’s expansion of community mental health services.

Drawing on her recent research in Kintampo, a rural town in Ghana, she outlined the challenges faced by mental health workers in delivering community-based treatment, such as lack of transport for home visits and inconsistent supplies of medication.

She also discussed how families and mental health workers negotiate ethical dilemmas and decision-making, particularly in respect of involuntary treatment and human rights concerns around the use of mechanical restraint by healers and families.