<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE article PUBLIC "-//NLM//DTD JATS (Z39.96) Journal Publishing DTD v1.2 20190208//EN"
  "https://jats.nlm.nih.gov/publishing/1.2/JATS-journalpublishing1.dtd">
<article xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
         xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"
         article-type="research-article"
         dtd-version="1.2">

  <!-- ============================================================ FRONT -->
  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">IJLTEMAS</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>International Journal of Latest Technology in Engineering, Management &amp; Applied Science (IJLTEMAS)</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">IJLTEMAS</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="epub">2278-2540</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>IJLTEMAS</publisher-name>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>

    <article-meta>
      <!-- IDs -->
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">451</article-id>
            <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2026.150900102</article-id>
      
      <!-- Categories -->
            <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Mental Health</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      
      <!-- Title -->
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Mental Health Insurance in Ghana: Prospects and Challenges</article-title>
      </title-group>

      <!-- Authors -->
      <contrib-group>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
            <surname>Ansong</surname>
            <given-names>Kennedy</given-names>
          </name>
                              <aff>
            Institute for Distance Learning and Postgraduate Studies (IDLPS), Frontier University – Somalia.                        <country>Somalia</country>
                      </aff>
                    
        </contrib>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
            <surname>M Yasir Arafat</surname>
            <given-names>S.</given-names>
          </name>
                              <aff>
            Institute for Distance Learning and Postgraduate Studies (IDLPS), Frontier University – Somalia.                        <country>Somalia</country>
                      </aff>
                    
        </contrib>
              </contrib-group>

      <!-- Volume / Issue / Pages -->
            <volume>15</volume>
                  <issue>9</issue>
                        <fpage>2298</fpage>
            <lpage>2305</lpage>
            
      <!-- Dates -->
      <history>
                <date date-type="received">
          <day>25</day>
          <month>09</month>
          <year>2026</year>
        </date>
                        <date date-type="accepted">
          <day>30</day>
          <month>09</month>
          <year>2026</year>
        </date>
              </history>

            <pub-date pub-type="epub">
        <day>17</day>
        <month>10</month>
        <year>2026</year>
      </pub-date>
      
      <!-- DOI Self-URI -->
            <self-uri xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2026.150900102"/>
      
      <!-- Keywords -->
            <kwd-group kwd-group-type="author">
                <kwd>Mental health insurance</kwd>
                <kwd>National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)</kwd>
                <kwd>secondary data review</kwd>
                <kwd>universal health coverage</kwd>
                <kwd>Ghana</kwd>
                <kwd>health economics.</kwd>
              </kwd-group>
      
    </article-meta>
  </front>

  <!-- ============================================================ BODY (Abstract) -->
  <body>
        <sec>
      <title>Abstract</title>
      <p>Background: Mental, neurological and substance use disorders are poorly resourced and prevalence of these disorders is 10–13% in Ghana with only 10% of those affected seeking formal psychiatric treatment. The NHIS coverage gap for mental health has consistently been a cost burden on households, with high out-of-pocket expenses. But it was a turning point in November 2024 when four mental health conditions joined the NHIS benefits package, reflecting a positive step towards improved financial protection and treatment opportunities.
Objective: This review aimed to examine, through secondary data, the prospects and challenges of mental health insurance in Ghana, in order to identify policy options for strengthening the mental health financing system.
Method: The peer-reviewed literature, government publications, national statistics and international literature were used to conduct this secondary-data review, which was completed between 2012 and July 2026. Relevance and credibility of the evidence were evaluated, and the evidence was presented in a narrative form thematically.
Results: There was a rise in NHIS coverage from about 40% in 2014-2015 to 68.6% for the 2021 census period. Progress also includes digital enrolment reform and promises to increase the provision of integrated mental health care. However, challenges still exist, such as payment delays by NHIS, a lack of psychiatric professionals, poor psychotropic medicine supply chains, and stigma linked to spiritual interpretation of mental illness.
Conclusion: The growth of NHIS coverage for mental disorders is a significant progress towards achieving equity in healthcare coverage. But deeper strides will take place if claims are processed better, medicines are available, workers are distributed more effectively, and stigma and misconceptions about mental illness are addressed.</p>
    </sec>
      </body>

  <!-- ============================================================ BACK (References) -->
    <back>
    <ref-list>
      <title>References</title>
            <ref id="ref1">
        <label>1</label>
        <mixed-citation>Ae-Ngibise, K. A., Sakyi, L., Adwan-Kamara, L., Lund, C., &amp; Weobong, B. (2023). Prevalence of probable mental, neurological and substance use conditions and case detection at primary healthcare facilities across three districts in Ghana: Findings from a cross-sectional health facility survey. BMC Psychiatry, 23, 280. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04775-z</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref2">
        <label>2</label>
        <mixed-citation>Alkhawaldeh, A., ALBashtawy, M., Rayan, A., Abdalrahim, A., Musa, A. S., Al-Amer, R., &amp; Khatatbeh, H. (2023). Application and use of Andersen's behavioral model as theoretical framework: A systematic literature review from 2012-2021. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 52(7), 1346-1354. https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v52i7.13236</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref3">
        <label>3</label>
        <mixed-citation>Arrow, K. J. (1963). Uncertainty and the welfare economics of medical care. The American Economic Review, 53(5), 941-973. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1812044</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref4">
        <label>4</label>
        <mixed-citation>Docrat, S., Besada, D., Cleary, S., &amp; Lund, C. (2020). The impact of social, national and community-based health insurance on health care utilisation for mental, neurological and substance-use disorders in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review. Health Economics Review, 10(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13561-020-00268-x</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref5">
        <label>5</label>
        <mixed-citation>Eze, P., Ilechukwu, S., &amp; Lawani, L. O. (2023). Impact of community-based health insurance in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE, 18(6), e0287600. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287600</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref6">
        <label>6</label>
        <mixed-citation>Ghanaian Times. (2024, October). Big boost for mental health: Government adds four diseases to NHIS benefit packages effective November 1. https://ghanaiantimes.com.gh/big-boost-for-mental-health-as-govt-adds-4-diseases-to-nhis-benefit-packages-effective-november-1/</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref7">
        <label>7</label>
        <mixed-citation>International Trade Administration. (2023). Ghana healthcare insurance. U.S. Department of Commerce. https://www.trade.gov/market-intelligence/ghana-healthcare-insurance</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref8">
        <label>8</label>
        <mixed-citation>Lu, C., Chin, B., Lewandowski, J. L., Basinga, P., Hirschhorn, L. R., Hill, K., Murray, M., &amp; Binagwaho, A. (2012). Towards universal health coverage: An evaluation of Rwanda Mutuelles in its first eight years. PLoS ONE, 7(6), e39282. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0039282</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref9">
        <label>9</label>
        <mixed-citation>Permanent Mission of Ghana to the United Nations. (2025). Statement to the Commission on Population and Development, 58th session. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/www.un.org.development.desa.pd/files/undesa_pd_2025_cpd58_statement_ghana.pdf</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref10">
        <label>10</label>
        <mixed-citation>Sakyi, L., Ae-Ngibise, K., Adwan-Kamara, L., Weobong, B., &amp; Lund, C. (2024). Care delivery in the context of district mental healthcare plans in Ghana: A qualitative study exploring experiences of primary healthcare workers and service users. BMJ Open, 14, e090711. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-090711</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref11">
        <label>11</label>
        <mixed-citation>Sen, A. (1999). Development as freedom. Oxford University Press. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/development-as-freedom-9780198297581</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref12">
        <label>12</label>
        <mixed-citation>Weobong, B., Ae-Ngibise, K. A., Sakyi, L., &amp; Lund, C. (2023). Towards implementation of context-specific integrated district mental healthcare plans: A situation analysis of mental health services in five districts in Ghana. PLOS ONE, 18(5), e0285324. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0285324</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref13">
        <label>13</label>
        <mixed-citation>Wijekoon Mudiyanselage, K. K., De Santis, K. K., Jörg, F., Saleem, M., Stewart, R., Zeeb, H., &amp; Busse, H. (2024). The effectiveness of mental health interventions involving non-specialists and digital technology in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review. BMC Public Health, 24, 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17417-6</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref14">
        <label>14</label>
        <mixed-citation>World Health Organization. (n.d.). WHO Special Initiative for Mental Health: Ghana. Retrieved July 27, 2026, from https://www.who.int/initiatives/who-special-initiative-for-mental-health/ghana</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
            <ref id="ref15">
        <label>15</label>
        <mixed-citation>World Health Organization. (2026). Expanding universal health coverage for mental health in Ghana: Integration of services into the National Health Insurance Scheme. WHO. https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/expanding-universal-health-coverage-for-mental-health-in-ghana--integration-of-services-into-the-national-health-insurance-scheme</mixed-citation>
      </ref>
          </ref-list>
  </back>
  
</article>
