Depression and Quality of Life of People Accused of Witchcraft and Living in Alleged Witches’ Camps in Northern Ghana

Bibliographic Data

ID15087205
AuthorsLamnatu Adam (Songtaba Ghana, P.O. Box TL 24, Tamale, Ghana), Abdul Kasiru Shani (Songtaba Ghana, P.O. Box TL 24, Tamale, Ghana), Peter Badimak Yaro (0000-0001-6977-6550, BasicNeeds Ghana, P. O. Office Box TL 1140, Tamale, Ghana), Lyla Adwan-Kamara (0009-0005-6508-0616, Ghana Somubi Dwumadie, No. 6 Asoyi Crescent, East Legon, Accra, Ghana), Philip Teg-Nefaah Tabong (0000-0002-6457-1844, University of Ghana, corresponding author)
EditorsKathiravan Srinivasan (0000-0002-9352-0237)
Year2023
Volume2023
Pages1-12
Publication date2023-02-14
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHealth & Social Care in the Community (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0966-0410 • E-ISSN: 1365-2524
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1155/2023/6830762
OpenAlexW4320716854
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited34

In Northern and Northeast Ghana, women accused of witchcraft are banished from society to live in special locations designated “witches camps.” The processes leading to their banishment, admission, and living in the camps may affect their psychological wellbeing and quality of life. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of depression and assess the quality of life of 277 alleged witches in four camps located in these two regions in Ghana. A structured questionnaire was developed and administered using the open data collection kit (ODK). The Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) and the World Health Organisation Quality of Life (WHOQOL) questionnaires were adopted to measure depression and health-related quality of life, respectively. The data were analysed using STATA version 16. The prevalence of depression among the alleged witches was 52.7%. Out of this, 37.2% had moderate depression, 7.2% had moderate or severe depression whilst 2.9% had severe depression. The sociodemographic factors that have a statistically significant association with depression included gender, marital status, being widowed or separated, and not having biological children. Over 97% of alleged witches have a low or extremely low quality of life. In conclusion, the majority of the people accused of witchcraft have a low or extremely low quality of life with high-probable depression

Depression (economics) · Environmental health · Marital status · Population · Psychiatry · Quality of life (healthcare) · Sociology · Demography · Health disparities and outcomes · Health, psychology, and well-being · Medicine · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Nursing · Psychology · Gerontology

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