Eric Badu

UNSW Sydney | UNSW · Centre for Social Research in Health

Background Understanding the pathways to mental health treatment is important to inform service outcome, yet limited empirical research has been conducted. This paper explores the pathways used to treat mental illness in Ghana from the perspective of consumers and mental health professionals (MHPs). Methods The paper used a qualitative method, invo...

Introduction Evaluation frameworks are relevant to understanding health service providers’ views regarding existing services and possible improvements, but their application to mental health services is limited, particularly in Low Middle-Income Countries. Aim/Question To identify program theory for understanding contextual factors and mechanisms...

This paper explores consumers’ understanding and perception of the etiology of mental illness in community-based residential facilities in Ghana. Qualitative data involving in-depth interviews were used to collect data from 15 consumers of mental health services from two residential facilities. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The st...

Purpose This integrative review aimed to identify and synthesis literature on analysis techniques and methodological approaches used to analyse consumer measures in mental health research. Design/methodology/approach The review included papers published up to January 2020 across seven databases: CINAHL, Web of Science, Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE, S...

Background Evidence-based clinical practice is an inherent component of mental health professional practice in developed countries. However, little is known about professional perspectives of evidence-based practice in mental in developing countries such as Ghana. This paper describes the processes involved in the delivery of best practice in Ghana...

There is an increasing call for recovery-oriented services but few reviews have been un-dertaken regarding such interventions. This review aims to synthesize evidence on recovery services to improve the lives of adults living with severe mental illness. An integrative review methodology was used. We searched published literature from seven database...

The World Health Disability Assessment Scale (WHODAS‐2.0) has widely been accepted as the standard measure of disability. However, psychometric testing is mostly performed in developed countries. This paper aims to assess the psychometric properties (reliability, validity) of the WHODAS‐2.0 among consumers of mental health services in Ghana. Two tr...

Integrating consumers’ experiences into quality mental health service assessment is relevant to improve service outcomes. Despite this, limited studies have attempted to explore consumers’ experiences, particularly in developing countries, such as Ghana. This paper aims to explore consumers’ subjective experiences of the quality of mental health se...

Purpose Assess factors associated with the quality of mental health services. Design and Methods Cross‐sectional design, quantitative data, and 510 consumers from three psychiatric facilities. Results The average age of consumers was 34 years and 51.57% males. Consumers reported mixed satisfaction with the quality of mental health services (mean...

Behaviour problems among students with visual disabilities are mentioned as a challenge confronting teachers. This study explores teachers’ experiences of behaviour problems and strategies used to mitigate such problems among students with visual disabilities in Ghana. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 purposively selected teachers. Themat...

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Objective: This study aims to estimate the cost of accessing FP services in Ghana. A cross-sectional design, involving quantitative methods were used to recruit 1194 women who accessed FP services in 336 primary health facilities, selected through a two-stage sampling. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate the cost, using STATA 13. Results...

Background Evidence-based clinical practice is an inherent component of developed countries mental health professional practice, however, little is known about Ghana mental health professional perspectives on evidence-based practice. This paper outlines the processes involved in the delivery of best practice in Ghana. The paper describes a realisti...

Background: There is increasing call regarding recovery services, however, little review studies have been undertaken regarding such services. This integrative review aimed to identify and synthesize evidence on the usefulness of recovery services used to promote personal recovery among adults living with severe mental illness. Methods: A search of...

Background: In the past decades, considerable global attention has been drawn to recovery services that seek to promote the personal recovery journey of consumers with mental illness. However, in most settings, including Ghana, limited empirical studies have attempted to explore, from the perspectives of Mental Health Professionals (MHPs) and cons...

Introduction Incorporating consumers’ perspectives into the quality of mental health service measurement is a growing priority among mental health professionals’ and policymakers. Despite this, there is limited empirical evidence related to consumer perspectives of quality of mental health services. This study, therefore, aims to measure the mediat...

Background: There is increasing call regarding recovery services but little review have been undertaken regarding such services. This integrative review aimed to identify and synthesize evidence on the usefulness of recovery services used to promote personal recovery among adults living with severe mental illness. Methods: A search of the published...

Background: Accessibility of health care to students with disabilities is a global concern. This is no less important in Ghana, however, to date, no study has been undertaken regarding access to health care to students with disabilities. This study, therefore, aims to explore the accessibility of health care to students with disabilities, in the q...

Background: Accessibility of health care to students with disabilities is a global concern. This is no less important in Ghana, however, to date, no study has been undertaken regarding access to health care to students with disabilities. This study, therefore, aims to explore the accessibility of health care to students with disabilities, in the qu...

Background: Accessibility of health care to students with disabilities is a global concern. This is no less important in Ghana, however, to date, no study has been undertaken regarding access to health care to students with disabilities. This study, therefore, aims to explore the accessibility of health care to students with disabilities, in the qu...

This integrative review aimed to identify and synthesize evidence on workplace stress and resilience in the Australian nursing workforce. A search of the published literature was conducted using EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL (EBSCO), PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus. The search was limited to papers published in English from January 2008 to December...

Background: Accessibility of health care to students with disabilities is a global concern. This is no less important in Ghana, however, to date, no study has been undertaken regarding access to health care to students with disabilities. This study, therefore, aims to explore the accessibility of health care to students with disabilities, in the qu...

Objective: This study aims to explore the knowledge and sources of accessing sexual and reproductive health services and care information among visually impaired women in Ghana. Qualitative data involving in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted among 21 visually impaired women selected through purposive and snowballing sampl...

This study aims to examine the predisposing factors infuencing occupational injuries among frontline construction workers in Ghana. A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 634 frontline construction workers in Kumasi metropolis of Ghana using a structured questionnaire. The study was conducted from December 2016 to June 2017 using a household...

Background: The literature suggests that there are challenges faced by parents of children with intellectual disabilities (ID), which have resulted in calls for support services to be made available to parents and their children with ID. Although regular schools in Ghana are unable to admit students with ID, it is believed that special schools hav...

Objective This study aims to examine the predisposing factors influencing occupational injuries among frontline construction workers in Ghana. A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 634 frontline construction workers in Kumasi metropolis of Ghana using a structured questionnaire. The study was conducted from December 2016 to June 2017 using...

Objective This study aims to examine the predisposing factors influencing occupational injuries among frontline construction workers in Ghana. A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 634 frontline construction workers in Kumasi metropolis of Ghana using a structured questionnaire. The study was conducted from December 2016 to June 2017 using...

This review synthesises theoretical approaches and methodological considerations in mental health service quality assessment from consumers-perspective. We searched published articles from databases: EMBASE, MEDLINE, CIHNAL, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO. Of the 30 included papers, 16 contained instruments used to mental health quality asses...

Background: Accessibility to health services for students with disabilities is a global concern. This is no less important in Ghana, however, to date, no study has been undertaken regarding access to health services for students with disabilities. This study, therefore, aims to explore the accessibility of health services for students with disabili...

Objective: This study aims to explore the knowledge and sources of accessing sexual and reproductive health services and care information among visually impaired women in Ghana. Qualitative data involving in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted among 21 visually impaired women selected through purposive and snowballing sampli...

Background: Several typologies and guidelines are available to address the methodological and practical considerations required in mental health research. However, few studies have actually attempted to systematically identify and synthesise these considerations. This paper provides an integrative review that identifies and synthesises the availabl...

Objective This study aims to examine the predisposing factors influencing occupational injuries among frontline construction workers in Ghana. A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 634 frontline construction workers in Kumasi metropolis of Ghana using a structured questionnaire. The study was conducted from December 2016 to June 2017 using...

Objective This study aims to examine the predisposing factors influencing occupational injuries among frontline construction workers in Ghana. A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 634 frontline construction workers in Kumasi metropolis of Ghana using a structured questionnaire. The study was conducted from December 2016 to June 2017 using...

Background: The cost burden of occupational injuries has significant effects on the social well-being of workers. Although there seems to be growing evidence on the cost burden on other public health issues, little is known about occupational injuries, especially in low- to middle-income countries including Ghana. Objective: This study, therefor...

Objective: This study explores the knowledge and sources of information in accessing sexual and reproductive health services and care information among visually impaired women in Ghana. Qualitative data involving In-depth Interviews and Focus Group Discussions were conducted among 21 visually impaired women, selected through purposive and snowballi...

Background: The clinical pathways for treating mental illness have received global attention. Several empirical studies have been undertaken on treatment pathways in Ghana. No study, however, has systematically reviewed the literature related to the pathways of mental health treatment in Ghana. Aim: This article aims to identify the pathways used...

Purpose: The mass media have been described as an important institution in educating society about persons with disabilities and in facilitating their acceptance. However, calls to project a positive public image of persons with disabilities and to develop an inclusive society have coincided with the neo-liberal approach to policymaking, whereby go...

Purpose The study aims to explore the burden of caregiving among mental health nurses providing services to consumers with depression in Ghana. Design and Methods Interpretative phenomenological design and qualitative data Findings The study shows that several health system constraints and individual factors contribute to the burden of caregiving...

Purpose To explore factors influencing treatment pathways to mental health services among consumers in Ghana. Design and Methods Cross‐sectional design using quantitative method. Findings Treatment pathways for mental illness were general hospitals/clinics, psychiatric hospitals, and faith‐based practices. The predisposing (age, household size, p...

Introduction The abstracts of a conference are important for informing the participants about the results that are communicated. However, there is poor reporting in conference abstracts in disability research. This paper aims to assess the reporting in the abstracts presented at the 5th African Network for Evidence-to-Action in Disability (AfriNEAD...

Persons with disabilities encounter numerous barriers that prevent them from participating in society on an equal basis with others. They also have limited opportunities and choices and therefore are more likely to have lower educational achievements, poorer health outcomes, lower employment rates, and live in poorer housing conditions than their c...

The need to improve the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and rights of women with disabilities is increasingly acknowledged. Unfortunately, women with disabilities in low- and middle-income settings, including Ghana, face several barriers (including structural, financial, physical, social and attitudinal) to accessing SRH services and care. Thi...

Introduction The importance of accessible mental health treatment is a global concern, particularly when one in five people will experience a mental health problem in their lifespan. This is no less important in Ghana; however, no studies have yet attempted to appraise and synthesise the potential enablers and barriers to accessing services in Ghan...

The economic burden of occupational injuries has significant effect on the health and social well-being of workers. Consequently, whilst there seems to be growing evidence on the economic burden on other public health issues, little is known about occupational injuries among construction workers, especially those in Low Middle-Income settings inclu...

The health system strengthening approach has been promoted in recent years as a way to address health care limitations experienced by LMICs. This approach seeks to strengthen national and local health systems as a whole rather than through vertical interventions in disease-specific areas. Evidence suggests that integration of eye health into the wi...

Introduction: Attempts to use health insurance in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) are recognized as a powerful tool in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). However, continuous enrolment onto health insurance schemes and utilization of healthcare in these countries remain problematic due to varying factors. Empirical evidence on the in...

The overall aim of the pilot was to develop and test a way to capture data on disability within the MDA data system. Based on recommendations from the previous two pilots, there was a particular emphasis on developing and testing a way for the data to be consolidated and analysed locally. Within the project, specific objectives that were identified...

The overall aim was to describe the eye health system in Mali, assess its relative strengths and weaknesses and explore its interconnections with the general health system in order to make recommendations to inform the design of the new Eye Health Strategic Plan. The assessment was based on the Eye Health Systems Assessment (EHSA) tool developed in...

In this study, the authors employed a single-participant approach to investigate the resilience of persons with disabilities in the face of discrimination and marginalisation. An interview was conducted with a woman living with physical disability in the capital of the Northern region of Ghana. The study found that despite barriers erected against...

Inclusive education systems reflect growing awareness of the imperatives of 21 st-century societies to make quality education available to all students. The development of inclusive education in Ghana has been recognized as the process for orchestrating educational quality and equity for students with disabilities. This article contributes to the a...

Inclusive education systems reflect growing awareness of the imperatives of 21st-century societies to make quality education available to all students. The development of inclusive education in Ghana has been recognized as the process for orchestrating educational quality and equity for students with disabilities. This article contributes to the ar...

Background Musculoskeletal [MSK] injuries are common causes of long-term pain and physical disability which affect many people worldwide. The economic and social impacts on the individual, society and national health systems are enormous making a matter of public health concern. Therefore, this study examined the causes and extent of MSK injuries i...

Introduction: The right to vote is critical to democracy and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) underscores the equal right of people with disabilities to participate in political life. Yet, in many low income countries, including those in Africa, people with disabilities are often unable to cast their...

The Disability Common Fund (DCF) is a social protection program aimed at alleviating poverty among persons with disabilities in Ghana. Since its introduction, little has been done to examine if beneficiaries use the fund for its intended purposes. The study was conducted to assess beneficiaries’ perception of the sufficiency of the fund, what the f...

Purpose: Women with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to violence and often at risk of being violated sexually. The study aimed to document the causes and consequences of sexual violence against women with disabilities in Mampong Municipality of Ashanti region in Ghana. Methods: This exploratory study recruited 41 participants, made up of wo...

Introduction: Awareness of disability issues has gained considerable interest by advocacy groups in recent years. However, it is uncertain whether attitudes and perceptions of all service providers and society have adjusted accordingly towards the health care of people with disabilities. This study sought to examine the attitudes of health provider...

Parents of children with intellectual disabilities could experience difficulties associated with their care. Yet, insight into individual experiences is inadequate to guide effective responses to the needs of parents and their sons and daughters with intellectual disability. This study sought to explore the experiences of parents of children with i...

Health care is a human right yet access barriers to health care remain one of the major challenges among people with disabilities. One of the several reasons accounting for this is that there is little evidence on access barriers to healthcare among people with disabilities. This partly explains the gaps in policy design and implementation of appro...

Parents of children with intellectual disabilities could experience difficulties associated with their care. Yet, insight into individual experiences is inadequate to guide effective responses to the needs of parents and their sons and daughters with intellectual disability. This study sought to explore the experiences of parents of children with i...

Purpose The nutritional status of a woman before and during pregnancy is important for a healthy pregnancy outcome. The increasing prevalence of maternal overweight and obesity worldwide has become a problem of concern among public health professionals. The purpose of this paper is to review the evidence regarding the impact of maternal weight on p...

This article discusses factors restricting access to education for children with disabilities in Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions of Ghana. The aim is to identify barriers hindering access to education for children with disabilities and make recommendations to increase access. A one round in-depth interview was conducted with 31 participants, made u...

International Symposium

Unemployment is one of the major challenges facing persons with disabilities worldwide. Persons with disabilities experience significantly high rates of unemployment compared with the general population, and are often employed in low-paid jobs. This could indicate a missing link in identifying employment opportunities and impeding factors to the op...

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) has been touted as a major breakthrough towards achieving equal rights for persons with disabilities. The promulgation of the convention provided clear guidelines for signatory countries to revise their legislation as well as to formulate policies that will take into consideration the...

Introduction: Access to education is limited to most persons with disabilities, especially in Africa and Asia despite efforts being made by governments and NGOs working towards the removal of barriers to its accessibility. The study examined the experiences of persons with disabilities in their effort to safeguard their right to education. Method:...

Participation in tourism brings individuals, families and communities together, making it an important social inclusion strategy. Negative perceptions about persons with disabilities could make it difficult for them to access public places. Therefore, this study served to examine tourism challenges for persons with disabilities (PwDs) in the Ashant...

Participation in tourism brings individuals, families and communities together, making it an important social inclusion strategy. Negative perceptions about persons with disabilities could make it difficult for them to access public places. Therefore, this study served to examine tourism challenges for persons with disabilities (PwDs) in the Ashant...

Purpose: Tourism contributes a great deal to the world's economy. However, persons with disabilities are underrepresented in the industry, particularly in Ghana, due to inaccessible tourism structures and facilities. Accessibility and participation in tourism will enhance social inclusion of persons with disabilities. This study sought to document...

Purpose: According to the World Health Organisation, 10% to 15% of the population of every developing country lives with disability. This amounts to about 2.4 - 3.6 million Ghanaians with disability. Since their contribution is important for the development of the country, this study aimed to assess the financial access to healthcare among persons...

Purpose: Disability cuts across every society and all spheres of life. For an inclusive society, it is important to understand people’s perceptions about persons with disabilities. However, there seems to be limited information, particularly about the perceptions of students who are the generation of future policy-makers. This study examines the pe...

An attempt is made in the study to document available special school facilities in Ghana and analyze these facilities in relation to accessibility using a group of 31 participants which constituted of officials of Special Education at the national head office, District Special Education Coordinators, Resource Teachers, Headmasters and Classroom Tea...

Purpose: Inclusive education, widely acknowledged as an alternative method of making education accessible to children with special needs, has been piloted for 10 years in selected districts of Ghana. This article aims to discuss the feasibility of implementing it throughout the country, by assessing the inclusive education programme piloted in Ghan...