ArticlePloS one2013
Recruitment and retention of mental health workers in Ghana.
Article in PloS one, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 56 citations in OpenAlex.
- The effect of human resource management on performance in hospitals in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic literature review.Human resources for health · 2018Pooled it
- Sex-related inequalities in crude and age-standardized suicide rates: trends in Ghana from 2000 to 2019.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Investigating Attraction and Retention of Staff Within Public Mental Health Services in Victoria, Australia: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.JMIR research protocols · 2023Article
- Article
- A qualitative exploration of the role of NGOs in the recovery support for persons with substance use disorders in a low-income African setting.Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy · 2021Article
- Adolescents at risk of self-harm in Ghana: a qualitative interview study exploring the views and experiences of key adult informants.BMC psychiatry · 2020Article
- "We need more big trees as well as the grass roots": going beyond research capacity building to develop sustainable careers in mental health research in African countries.International journal of mental health systems · 2020Article
- An integrative review of potential enablers and barriers to accessing mental health services in Ghana.Health research policy and systems · 2018Review
- Prayer Camps and Biomedical Care in Ghana: Is Collaboration in Mental Health Care Possible?PloS one · 2016Article
- Experiences of nurses caring for mental health care users in an acute admission unit at a psychiatric hospital in the Western Cape Province.Curationis · 2015Article
- Aggression in mental health settings: a case study in Ghana.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2015Article
- Factors influencing the career choice and retention of community mental health workers in Ghana.Human resources for health · 2015Article
- Management Matters: A Leverage Point for Health Systems Strengthening in Global Health.International journal of health policy and management · 2015Article
- Determinants of academics' job satisfaction: empirical evidence from private universities in Bangladesh.PloS one · 2015Article
- Task shifting--Ghana's community mental health workers' experiences and perceptions of their roles and scope of practice.Global health action · 2015Article
- Article
- Supervising community health workers in low-income countries--a review of impact and implementation issues.Global health action · 2014Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionThe lack of trained mental health workers is a primary contributor to the mental health treatment gap worldwide. Despite the great need to recruit and retain mental health workers in low-income countries, little is known about how these workers perceive their jobs and what drives them to work in mental health care. Using qualitative interviews, we aimed to explore factors motivating mental health workers in order to inform interventions to increase recruitment and retention.
methodsWe conducted 28 in-depth, open-ended interviews with staff in Ghana's three public psychiatric hospitals. We used the snowballing method to recruit participants and the constant comparative method for qualitative data analysis, with multiple members of the research team participating in data coding to enhance the validity and reliability of the analysis. The use of qualitative methods allowed us to understand the range and depth of motivating and demotivating factors.
resultsRespondents described many factors that influenced their choice to enter and remain in mental health care. Motivating factors included 1) desire to help patients who are vulnerable and in need, 2) positive day-to-day interactions with patients, 3) intellectual or academic interest in psychiatry or behavior, and 4) good relationships with colleagues. Demotivating factors included 1) lack of resources at the hospital, 2) a rigid supervisory hierarchy, 3) lack of positive or negative feedback on work performance, and 4) few opportunities for career advancement within mental health.
conclusionsBecause many of the factors are related to relationships, these findings suggest that strengthening the interpersonal and team dynamics may be a critical and relatively low cost way to increase worker motivation. The data also allowed us to highlight key areas for resource allocation to improve both recruitment and retention, including risk pay, adequate tools for patient care, improved hospital work environment, and stigma reduction efforts.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.