Community Storytelling as a Mental Health Promotion Strategy: Evidence from Northern Ghana

Abstract

Purpose

Mental health stigma and social isolation remain major barriers to well-being in low-resource settings. This study examined the effectiveness of a 6-week community-based storytelling intervention in improving emotional relief, perceived social support, and interpersonal trust among adults in Northern Ghana.

Design

Mixed-methods evaluation.

Setting

Five community centres across the Northern Region and virtual sessions on conferenced phone call.

Participants

Five hundred (500) adults (18+ years) selected through stratified random sampling completed pre and post-intervention surveys. A subsample of 32 participants, 6 community elders and 4 individuals with lived experience of mental health challenges participated in focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. In total, 42 informants participated in the qualitative phase of the study.

Intervention

Structured storytelling sessions delivered twice per week for 6 weeks (12 sessions total). Each session lasted 60-90 minutes and was facilitated by trained community mental health officers and local storytellers.

Measures

Emotional relief, perceived social support, and trust were measured using adapted items from the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) and the Social Connectedness Scale. Socioeconomic status was assessed using education, occupation and household assets. All scales demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.78 – 0.86).

Analysis

Normality was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test, supporting the use of paired-sample t-test. Thematic analysis was applied to qualitative narratives.

Results

Reports of emotional relief increased from 20% to 70% (t = 6.89, P < 0.001), perceived social support rose from 30% to 80% (t = 5.72, P < 0.001), and trust in sharing personal experiences increased from 25% to 65% (t = 5.21, P < .001). Qualitative findings reinforced these results, revealing themes of reduced stigma, strengthened belonging, and renewed resilience.

Conclusion

Storytelling is a low-cost, culturally grounded, community-driven intervention for promoting mental health. Integration into public health campaigns, digital platforms, and community leadership structures may expand impact. Future research should incorporate a control group and assess long-term outcomes.