Exploring the perspectives of adolescents in high school in Northern Ghana on barriers to accessing substance use services
This study found that adolescents in Northern Ghana face significant barriers to substance abuse service use, shaped by four key themes: stigma and confidentiality concerns, accessibility and affordability challenges, lack of adolescent-friendly services, and peer influence. These barriers, rooted in systemic, structural, and sociocultural contexts, foster mistrust, limit access, and discourage help-seeking. Addressing them requires adolescent-responsive interventions that prioritize confidentiality, affordability, accessibility, and supportive care aligned with young people's lived experiences.
Authors
- Dennis Bomansang Daliri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6754-0069)
- Richard Dei‐Asamoa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2209-0938)
- Agani Afaya (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7918-2999)
- Caleb Otu‐Ansah (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0098-2919)
- Nancy Abagye (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3654-3084)
- Daniel Adjei
- Akwasi Osei
- Moses Abangba Amoah
- Norbert Mantu Kipo
- Emmanuel Azusong
- Joseph Kabena Nyamison
- Josephine Agyeiwaa Stiles Darko
- Pinaman Appau
Institutions
- University of Ghana (GH)
- University of Health and Allied Sciences (GH)
- Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (GH)
- Nurses' Training College, Ho (GH)
- Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (GH)
- 37 Military Hospital (GH)
- Ghana Health Service (GH)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Discover Mental Health
- Published
- 2025-11-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-025-00342-y
- Primary Topic
- Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00