World Suicide Prevention Day: Public urged to rise against suicide tenets

Mr Cel Sorkpor, a Mental Health Doctor at the Keta Municipal Hospital in the Volta Region, has discouraged members of the public from considering suicide as an option to addressing any circumstances.He stressed that suicide could never be the best option regardless of depression, suffering, or any other internal challenges that one might face in life.Mr Sorkpor, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency to commemorate this year's World Suicide Prevention Day, said the public had a role to play in guiding people and discouraging suicidal motives in their various societies.'Many suicide attempts are from depression, failed relationships, and drug abuse, among others, and those found in these situations should be guided to prevent such occurrences,' he said.Mr Sorkpor said World Suicide Prevention Day is observed every year on September 10 to create awareness about the menace to prevent, reduce stigmatisation, and help people who were likely to attempt to take their own lives.The Day was being organi sed by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), to highlight the importance of community support and early intervention in protecting lives.Mr Sorkpor advised that those in such situations should not be exposed to weapons, idleness, or any dangerous substance and in that situation, they should also stay away from drinking alcohol and endeavour to stay in comfortable environments.He said it was important to collaborate, support, change the narratives, and create the needed awareness about suicide, to reduce the stigma, and encouraged the public to be open to conversations that would help curb the situation.The GNA gathered that a total of 543 suicidal attempts were recorded in the last six months in Ghana, whilst 81 death cases were recorded during the period.This year's World Suicide Prevention Day was celebrated on the theme: 'Changing the narrative on Suicide- a call to action, Start the Conversation'.Source: Ghana News Agency