Beyond the victims: The mental well-being cost of systemic corruption on public sector workers in Ghana

The mental well-being cost of corruption on public sector workers (PSWs) involved in corrupt practices remains a “black box” and is largely under-researched in corruption literature. This study, guided by Ethical Impact Theory, used qualitative vignettes and semi-structured interviews to give voice to the experiences of thirty-two (32) PSWs caught up in the complexity of corruption in Ghana. PSWs reported poor mental well-being symptoms such as restlessness, irritability, sadness, sleeping difficulty, and low self-esteem when engaged in corrupt activities. However, certain factors such as positive social standing, power, self-preservation, survival mechanisms, lack of moral conflict and religion were identified as the reasons for variations in experiences of the influence of corruption on mental well-being among participants. The findings emphasize the significance of the mental well-being cost of engaging in corruption, which may undermine job performance and productivity, ultimately resulting in overall inefficiency within the public service.