4TH NOVEMBER, 2019.
PRESS RELEASE.
TO ALL MEDIA HOUSES.
DAVID NABOARE CALL ON GHANAIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS TO REPEAL ATTEMPTED SUICIDE ACT IT WILL SERVE CITIZENS AND THE STATE BETTER.
David Naboare the National President of Ghana National Association of Community Mental Health Officers And Lead Facilitator for Favor Foundation for Life (A suicide Awareness & Prevention Network for Volta/Oti Region Call on Ghanaian Parliamentarians to exercise restraint and decriminalize Attempted Suicide to help serve the Citizens and the State.
Lets that a look at the attempted suicide act – 1960.
CRIMINAL OFFENCES ACT – 1960 (ACT 29.
Section – 57 – Abetment of Suicide.
Attempted Suicide
(1) Whoever abets the commission of suicide by any person shall whether or not the suicide be actually committed, be guilty of first degree felony.
(2) Whoever attempts to commit suicide shall be guilty of a misdemeanour.
Let’s look at suicide and attempted suicide;
Statistically every forty (40) seconds someone commits suicide and in every one (1) minute twenty-five people (25) attempts suicide by Worldwide Health Organization.
What are the causes of suicide;
Parliament of Ghana and Some MPs who are kicking against Decriminalization of Suicide attempt, these are the Risk Factors.
Factors that affect the risk of suicide include; mental disorders, drug misuse, psychological states
cultural, family, social situations
genetics and experiences of trauma or loss.
Mental disorders and substance misuse frequently co-exist.
Other risk factors include having previously attempted suicide, the ready availability of a means to take one’s life, a family history of suicide, or the presence of traumatic brain injury. For example, suicide rates have been found to be greater in households with firearms than those without them.
Socio-economic problems such as unemployment, poverty, homelessness, and discrimination may trigger suicidal thoughts. Suicide might be rarer in societies with high social cohesion and moral objections against suicide.
About 15–40% of people leave a suicide note.
War veterans have a higher risk of suicide due in part to higher rates of mental illness, such as post traumatic stress disorder, and physical health problems related to war.
Genetics appears to account for between 38% and 55% of suicidal behaviors.
Suicides may also occur as a local cluster of cases.
Upon monitoring and watching a video regarding the decriminalization of attempted suicide at the floor of Ghanaian Parliament,there were opposing views on whether to decriminalize Attempted suicide or uphold that provision of our laws.
As a professional and looking at the prime causes of suicide which among other issues are Mental illnesses, Substance use disorder and genetics there are clear indications that almost about forty-one (41)% Ghanaians who may be suffering from any form of mental illnesses may be prone to committing suicide, notwithstanding the above, World Health Organization had an alarming statistics that Six (6) people die out of substance abuse every one minute worldwide which means in every ten (10) seconds someone die out of substance abuse or misuse and the death could be through suicide.
The World Health Organization also came out to state that in every four (4) persons one (1) is likely to have mental illness in his or her life time.
Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder in people who die by suicide.
Also, A study by an NGO some five years ago proved that every year, Ghana loses One Thousand five hundred (1,500) people through suicide. Sixty Percent (60)% of people who called the help against suicide line which was tracked for a month were women, with 35% of these people being students.
They called with relationship problems, socio-economic problems, and pre-existing mental health challenges
Making an official appeal to our Honourable Members of Parliament that looking at the above analysis giving all of us including our family members are prone to attempting and committing suicide which mental Health professionals cannot Predict or justify at any given time on any client and family.
Persons who attempts suicide needs Mental Health first Aid to really deal with the situation causing the suicidal attempts rather than jailing the person without helping him out of his current situation.
The entire Ghanaian generation is prone to committing suicide ana attempted suicide therefore, the laws should be amended to give our clients the opportunity and right to treatment , successful rehabilitation and reintegration by mental professionals across the country .
Decriminalize attempted suicide
Parliament of Ghana
The Judiciary
Ghana Police service
Government of Ghana.
Kindly like, share and contribute to this press release.
Comments will be collated and communicated to the public and stakeholders concern.
Written by David Naboare
Tel:+233541098521
Email: [email protected]
You must be logged in to post a comment.