The Get Out Of Depression (GOOD) Foundation, in collaboration with Curious Minds Ghana, Tellmonifa, Appiah Sports Impact (ASI), and the University of Ghana Medical Students Association (UGMSA), has organised The King’s Game, a community-based sports and recreational event aimed at promoting conversations on men’s mental health.
Held at the Special Ice Astroturf in Dzorwulu on Saturday as part of activities marking Men’s Mental Health Month, the three-hour programme used football and recreational games as entry points to educate participants on mental health, challenge stigma, and encourage men to seek support when faced with emotional or psychological difficulties.
The event featured a football competition alongside games such as oware, ludo, Uno, cards, arts, and painting, creating an informal environment where participants could interact while engaging in conversations about mental wellbeing.
Addressing participants, the Founder and Team Lead of the GOOD Foundation said the initiative was informed by the reality that many men are more likely to participate in sporting and recreational activities than attend formal mental health seminars.
According to Miss Helena Amoah (Nana Aba Appiatewaa), Founder and Team Lead of the Get Out Of Depression Foundation, mental health has emerged as one of the world’s most pressing health concerns, surpassing many other health conditions in public attention.
Citing global health data, she noted that the World Health Organization estimates that one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds, while approximately 80 percent of suicide deaths involve men.
She attributed the situation to a combination of financial pressures, societal expectations, and years of neglect of men’s psychosocial wellbeing.
“Our society has conditioned many men to believe that expressing emotion is a weakness,” she said. “Many grow up hearing statements that encourage them to endure hardship silently instead of seeking help.
We decided that rather than taking this conversation into another conference room, we should meet men where they naturally gather on the football pitch and around the games they enjoy.”
The General Secretary of UGMSA, Mr Alfred Nsiah, described the initiative as timely, particularly during Men’s Mental Health Month.
He said community programmes such as The King’s Game create valuable opportunities to discuss mental health in ways that are accessible and relatable to men.
“Many men continue to struggle with mental health challenges without seeking professional support. Programmes like this help normalise those conversations while encouraging early intervention,” he said.
Founded in 2019, the GOOD Foundation is a Ghanaian non-profit organisation dedicated to mental health advocacy, awareness, and psychosocial support. The King’s Game forms part of its Tell A King Campaign, which seeks to reduce stigma surrounding men’s mental health and create safe spaces where men can openly discuss their wellbeing.
Its partner organisations brought complementary expertise to the initiative. Curious Minds Ghana supported community engagement and youth participation, Tellmonifa highlighted pathways to professional counselling, Appiah Sports Impact promoted sports as a tool for personal development and wellbeing, while UGMSA contributed medical advocacy and student leadership.
The Programmes and Events Manager of the GOOD Foundation, Mr George Boakye, said the organisation intends to institutionalise The King’s Game as an annual event every June in observance of Men’s Mental Health Month.
He also appealed to corporate organisations, development partners, and donors to support the initiative to enable it to reach more men across Ghana.
Mental health advocates continue to stress that reducing stigma and creating community-based support systems remain critical to addressing the growing mental health burden among men, who are significantly less likely than women to seek professional mental health care.
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A mental health professional also engaged participants on common mental health conditions affecting men, recognising early warning signs, breaking the stigma surrounding help-seeking, and accessing available mental health services and helplines in Ghana.
The University of Ghana Medical Students Association emerged champions of the football competition after defeating the other participating teams in the friendly tournament.
Participants commended the organisers for introducing what they described as a unique approach to mental health advocacy, urging them to expand the initiative to reach more communities across the country.
