Abena Korkor: Suffering from mental illness doesn't prevent one from being a celebrity

 She said that because of various "standards," people have defined who a celebrity should be in a conversation with Graphic Showbiz.       

"Ghanaians are judgmental and have very high standards for what someone in the spotlight ought to or ought not to be.

They are unaware of our own problems and hardships. It seems unjust to expect someone to be faultless once they are in the spotlight.

"People should be allowed to be themselves, go through their struggles, and even if they make mistakes, they should be given the space to breathe," she said.

Abena Korkor added that because she expects Ghanaians to be flexible, the judgmental way they criticize her for actions she mostly has no control over causes her to have emotional breakdowns.

The University of Cape Coast (UCC) alumna stated that, like many others in the public eye, she works hard to preserve an air of perfection while overcoming personal obstacles in the background.

Abena, the creator of Psychosocial Africa, pleaded with society to be kinder and more sympathetic, stressing that famous people are only human like everyone else.

On Tuesday, October 10, people all over the world observed World Mental Health Day to raise awareness of problems with mental health and provide more information on the illness

Abena Korkor believes that the day may not receive as much attention as it deserves in the nation, and she is pleading with the necessary parties to treat mental health advocacy seriously and provide institutions the authority to actively promote it.

In Ghana, not enough has been done to promote mental health. But NGOs and CSOs have made some contributions; we expect to see more projects.

"Our media houses must continue to play a role in mental health advocacy, instead of just focusing on it during special occasions or when a high-profile story emerges," she said.