Dr. Akwasi Osei – CEO Mental Health Authority

In line with the advocacy against suicide, the Mental Health Authority has asked the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament to speed up processes to ensure the law criminalising attempted suicide is repealed from the country’s criminal code.

It said a private member’s bill sponsored by the chairman of the committee was yet to be discussed on the floor of the House hence the reminder to members on the need to take action on the bill.

In a statement to commemorate this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day which fell on September 10, 2022, the authority maintained that individuals who attempted suicide must not be punished by the law because such persons had “cried for help and we failed them.”

It said, in most cases, people who attempted suicide exhibited behaviours or expressed thoughts that were indicative of the action they intended to pursue and would have “appreciated some help to prevent them from killing themselves.”

“These individuals have cried to us for help, and we failed them. They took action to kill themselves and thank God they survived. Must we punish them when we rather failed them? Definitely not!” The authority argued.

Expressing concern over the “painful and far too high” incidence of suicide cases in the country, the statement urged the public to take note of warning signs of suicide and help provide the needed support to persons with suicide tendencies.

It highlighted some of the “major warning signs” which include openly expressing the intention to kill oneself, withdrawal from family, friends, and society, and “expression of no sense of purpose in life or in continuing to live.”

“They may engage in painting, writing, talking about death, expressing hopelessness and finding ways to kill themselves, they may look for poisonous substances, among others. These are simple notifiable warning signs that signify a cry for help, and we must promptly act to help.

“They may be seen sighing too often, suddenly arranging things in order or instructing how to take care of dependants or express a desire to travel without knowing when they will return,” it added.

According to the authority, “no one needs to die by suicide,” hence the need to take every opportunity to learn about suicide and seek professional help for people in distress.

“A visit to a psychologist, psychiatrist, counsellor and to a medical facility is a source of help. As a matter of fact, even in the last seconds, a conversation with the right person is able to convince the individual to rescind their decision,” it noted.

The authority again urged organisations to “protect their important human resource by promoting and integrating mental health interventions in their work culture because all workers are at risk of experiencing some mental health challenges at some point in time.”

The MHA commended telecommunication companies for providing support and encouraged individuals contemplating suicide to “kindly postpone such action” and get help or call any of the helplines available on the internet.

By Spectator Reporter