Readiness Assessment of Healthcare Professionals to Integrate Mental Health Services into Primary Healthcare of Persons with Skin-Neglected Tropical Diseases in Ghana: A Structural Equation Modeling

The burden of mental health among individuals affected by skin-neglected tropical diseases (skin-NTDs) has increased significantly, prompting systemic measures to improve their mental health and well-being. Healthcare professionals have instrumental roles to play in this area in terms of integrating mental health into the existing primary and community healthcare services for skin-NTDs. The current study investigates the readiness of healthcare professionals for integrated healthcare, barriers to mental health service delivery and the professional development needs for mental health service delivery. A total of 252 healthcare professionals recruited from Nkwanta North and South Districts in the Oti Region of Ghana participated in the study by completing a set of questionnaires measuring the above variables, in addition to demographic factors. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the study variables while Pearson Moment Product Correlation was used to investigate the relationship between continuous study variables. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to elucidate the factorial validity of the study measures. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to examine the association between the variables and the mediating effects of professional development needs. The results showed that over 50% of the participants encountered several barriers in their attempt to provide mental health services to patients, and over 80% of them requested training and capacity building in mental health. CFA supports a two-factor structure of the readiness scale and one-factor structure of mental health barrier and professional development needs scales. SEM revealed a significant relationship between readiness for integrated healthcare, mental health barriers and professional development needs (p < 0.05). Further SEM analysis revealed that professional development needs significantly mediated the relationship between readiness for integrated healthcare and mental health barriers (p < 0.05). Addressing mental health professional development needs of healthcare professionals will help ensure their readiness for integrated healthcare for people with skin-NTDs.