Mehsog to Change Attitudes to the Mentally Ill.

"Mentally ill people are ignored all too often. That's why we take the time to listen to them. Listening to mentally ill people and giving them a 'voice' means that we can work with mentally ill people, rather than simply for them. It also means that we can, with their permission, tell the world of their experiences and help mentally ill people demand that the injustice must end" - BasicNeeds.

One of the ways of making this commitment manifest locally, is through the formation of the Mental Health Society of Ghana (MEHSOG), an organization created to champion issues of mental health. At the formal commemoration of this year's World Mental Health Day, mentally ill people, their carers and psychiatric nurses in Ghana will today feel a sense of belonging owing to the participation of MEHSOG.

The World Mental Health Day is marked on October 10 each year. The goal of the 2009 edition, which fell on Saturday, is to promote the critical need to bring mental health care to a higher level of importance. The World Federation for Mental Health also says that "We want you to envision a system of care that supports any ailment you have, …