Prof. Joseph Osafo

Joseph Osafo is a Professor of Clinical/Health Psychology and currently, the Head of the Department of Psychology, University of Ghana. He has a PhD in Health Sciences, M.Phil. in Psychology (Clinical Psychology), and Master of Arts in Theology and Missions.  He is engaged in cutting-edged research and has over 65 publications in international journals.  His research areas include suicidality, child-maternal health, divorce, and all related issues on mental health. He is the Executive Director of Centre for Suicide and Violence Research- Ghana (CSVR), a suicide preventionist, and a leading member advocating for decriminalizing attempted suicide, and developing a national suicide response strategy in the country.

EDUCATION: BA, Mphil, MA (Ghana), PhD – NTNU (Norway)

AREA OF SPECIALIZATION
Clinical Psychology, Health Science (Suicidology), Theology and human health, Adolescent Sexuality

ONGOING RESEARCH AND COLLABORATIONS

1. Covid-19 and Mental Health (NRF- South Africa)
2. Evidence for better Lives study Funded by Fondation Botnar
3. Representation of personhood from African Oral tradition. Funded by Mellon Foundation. 2018-2022.
4. Using collaborative visual research methods to understand experiences of mental illness, coercion and restraint in Ghana and Indonesia. Funded by Economic and Social Research Council
5. Programme for Effective Promotion of Maternal Psychosocial WELL-being-PREPWELL. University of Ghana Multi-disciplinary Grant

1. Quarshie EN-B, Oppong Asante K, Andoh-Arthur J, Akotia CS, Osafo J.(2022). To Keep the Law or to Repeal It: Views of Parliamentarians On the Call to Decriminalise Attempted Suicide in Ghana. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying. doi:10.1177/00302228211066683
2. Osafo, J., Oppong Asante, K., Ampomah, C. A., & Osei-Tutu, A. (2021). Factors Contributing to Divorce in Ghana: An Exploratory Analysis of Evidence From Court Suits. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10502556.2021.1871839
3. Osafo, J. (2021). Conducting a qualitative research on suicide in Ghana using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA): A reflection after a decade. New Ideas in Psychology, 60, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2020.100836
4. Osafo, J., Akotia, C. S., Andoh-Arthur, J., & Puplampu, B. M. (2021). The Role of Religious Leaders in Suicide Prevention in Ghana. A Qualitative Analysis. Pastoral Psychology, 70:525–539. https://doi.org/10.3109/09540261.2010.536419
5. Valdebenito, S., Murray, A., Hughes, C., Băban, A., Fernando, A. D., Madrid, B. J., Osafo, J… & Eisner, M. (2020). Evidence for Better Lives Study: a comparative birth-cohort study on child exposure to violence and other adversities in eight low-and middle-income countries-foundational research (study protocol). BMJ open, 10(10), e034986. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034986
6. Foley, S., Hughes, C., Murray, A. L., Baban, A., Fernando, A. D., Madrid, B., Osafo, J... & Eisner, M. (2021). Prenatal attachment: using measurement invariance to test the validity of comparisons across eight culturally diverse countries. Archives of Women's Mental Health, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-021-01105-8
7. Valdebenito, S., Murray, A., Hughes, C., Băban, A., Fernando, A. D., Madrid, B. J.,Osafo, J., ... & Eisner, M. (2020). Evidence for Better Lives Study: a comparative birth-cohort study on child exposure to violence and other adversities in eight low-and middle-income countries-foundational research (study protocol). BMJ open, 10(10), 10:e034986. doi:10.1136/ bmjopen-2019-034986
8. Osafo, J., Andoh-Arthur, J. (2020). Engaging Television for public education and counselling on suicide: A case example from Ghana. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling. DOI: 10.1007/s10447-020-09398-7
9. Osafo, J., Asante, K. O., & Akotia, C. S. (2020). Suicide prevention in the African region. Crisis.DOI: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000668
10. Mugisha, J., Kinyanda, E., Osafo, J., Nalukenge, W., & Knizek, B. L. (2020). Health care professionals’ perspectives on barriers to treatment seeking for formal health services among orphan children and adolescents with HIV/AIDS and mental distress in a rural district in central, Uganda. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-020-00332-8
11. Andoh-Arthur, J., Hjelmeland, H., Osafo, J., & Knizek, B. L. (2020). Substance use and suicide among men in Ghana: A qualitative study. Current Psychology, 1-13. DOI: 10.1007/s12144-020-00644-0
12. Andoh-Arthur, J., Knizek, B. L., Osafo, J., & Hjelmeland, H. (2020). Societal reactions to suicide in Ghana: A qualitative study of experiences of the bereaved. Crisis 41(2), 128-134: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention. DOI: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000618
13. Brown, R. H., Eisner, M., Valdebenito, S., Walker, S., Tomlinson, M., Hughes, C., Osafo J., ... & Dunne, M. P. (2020). What research questions should the next generation of birth cohort studies address? An international Delphi study of experts. Academic Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2020.03.011
14. Osei-Tutu, A., Osafo, J., Anum, A., Appiah-Danquah, R., Worthington Jr, E. L., Chen, Z. J., ... & Nonterah, C. W. (2020). Is cultural adaptation needed beyond using Christian-accommodated reach forgiveness psychoeducational group intervention in Ghana? An efficacy study comparing a Christian-accommodated version against a version accommodated by Christian and cultural adaptations. Spirituality in Clinical Practice. DOI: 10.1037/scp0000215
15. Dzotsi, H. T., Oppong Asante, K., & Osafo, J. (2020). Challenges associated with teenage motherhood in Ghana: a qualitative study. Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies, 15(1), 85-96. DOI: 10.1080/17450128.2020.1719251
16.  16. Boadu, S., Osei-Tutu, A., & Osafo, J. (2020). The Emotional experiences of children living in orphanages in Ghana. Journal of Children's Services. DOI: 10.1108/JCS-10-2018-0027