A Ghanaian doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin, Jonathan Okoe, is calling for broader changes in how mental illness is represented in Ghanaian media, arguing that legal reforms alone are insufficient to reduce stigma without changes in public narratives and social perceptions.

Okoe made the argument in a newly published academic article titled “Constructing Madness: Media Narratives and Public Understandings of Mental Illness in Contemporary Ghana, c. 2000-2025,” co-authored with Yahaya Halidu and published in the Academic Journal of History and Idea.

The article examines how Ghanaian media coverage between 2000 and 2025 has shaped public understanding of mental illness through recurring narratives linked to spirituality, morality, danger and social disorder. According to the study, Ghanaian media do not merely report on mental illness but also function as spaces where meanings surrounding psychological distress are constructed and reinforced.

The article argues that although reforms such as Ghana’s Mental Health Act of 2012 have increased awareness around mental healthcare and patient rights, many media narratives continue to absorb biomedical language into longstanding spiritual and moral interpretations of mental illness.

Drawing on media reports, documentaries and public discourse, the study highlights how repeated portrayals of mental illness through themes of fear, instability and spiritual crisis can contribute to the persistence of stigma in society.

The research also explores the role of journalism in shaping empathy, public attitudes and broader social understanding of mental health in Ghana.

About Jonathan Okoe
He is a doctoral student in the Department of History at the University of Texas at Austin. His research interests include health, medicine, science, technology, digital humanities and medical anthropology spanning the 18th to the 21st centuries.

He currently serves as President of the African History Graduate Students Organization (AGHSO), a representative of the Department of History at the Graduate Student Assembly (GSA), and Chairman of the organizing committee for the 2027 Toyin Falola Annual African Conference (TOFAC) at the University of Texas at Austin.

Okoe has also authored several journal articles and book reviews and is working on a forthcoming book on Ghana with renowned African historian, Professor Toyin Falola, a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

The publication adds to growing scholarship examining mental health, stigma and media representation in Africa.

=== Report by Clankson Acheampong for Asaase News in Accra