Accra, Sept 11, GNA – The Ghana Psychological Association (GPA) on Sunday called on persons who may find themselves in crisis and contemplating suicide to seek professional care as there is help for everyone.
On September 10, being World Suicide Prevention Day, the GPA reiterated that “suicide is not an option” and urged governments to increase efforts at improving mental healthcare for its citizens to ensure quality life.
A statement issued by Dr Isaac Newman Arthur, Public Relations Officer of the GPA, copied to the Ghana News Agency, said: “To anyone contemplating suicide, there is help for you.”
“Do not give up regardless of the crisis situation you may find yourself. We encourage you to seek professional care, now.”
Every year, 10th September is dedicated globally as Suicide Prevention Day, to create awareness globally on suicide-related issues, and encourage governments to increase The theme for 2023 is, ‘Creating Hope through Action”.
The statement said Ghana’s mental healthcare story was an inspiring one.
It noted that the toil of many mental health professionals over the years, coupled with cutting edge governmental policies had transformed mental healthcare delivery into a formidable one, increasing access to mental healthcare across the country.
It said one of such policies, the decriminalisation of attempted suicide this year by the Parliament of Ghana in March, 2023, which was well received by all who are involved in this noble cause, was a bold step towards improving mental healthcare for the vulnerable in the society.
The statement said laws, policies and other administrative requirements can affect mental health service delivery.
It said one of such was the criminalization of attempted suicide in Ghana- the Criminal Offenses Act, 1960 (Act 29).
It said the fight against suicide, and the stigma associated with it, has yielded great results.
The statement said the fruitful discourse on mental health and suicide-related issues in all media spaces, and the campaign in communities initiated by mental health professionals and organisations, including members of GPA, was highly commendable.
It said the work of these gallant men and women in mental health advocacy had yielded great results.
It said on the global front, progress made in this regard, reflects to a great extent, the story in Ghana.
The statement said though a lot had been done, the situation is still dire.
It said according to World Health Organization, more than 700,000 people die by suicide each year, one person every 40 seconds, with majority of them being males.
“Suicide is the second most important cause of death amongst 15-19yearolds.
In Ghana, about 1500 people die by suicide yearly,” the statement said.
“This is a “pandemic”, really! More than
98 per cent of them have an underlying mental illness, with majority of them having some form of depressive disorder. Usually, four out of every five suicides could have been prevented if someone was paying attention, or offering a helping hand.”
It noted that although this situation was no secret, steps taken by governments to deal with this issue, including all other mental health issues, had not been attended to with the urgency and seriousness it deserves.
It said mental health issues were usually neglected, understated and underestimated.
It said budget allocations by governments to deal with mental health issues could be much better.
It reiterated that global crises situations and the hardships experienced by citizens of any country, including Ghana, could influence suicidal behaviors significantly. More than 70 per cent of deaths by suicide occur in low to middle income countries;
“Thus, we need a global effort to curb
this “pandemic”.”
It said the GPA, over the years, had prioritized mental health advocacy and intervention on the national and global front, and through its members across the country, and on various platforms, had been involved in mental health sensitization, policy formulation and disaster management, including suicide prevention.
It said the GPA encourages all stakeholders to continue efforts in advancing this good cause, and invite partners to support the association.
“We encourage the government to continue its efforts to make mental healthcare affordable through the National Health Insurance Scheme,” the statement said.
GNA