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Abstract. Background: Emerging research on suicidal behaviors among adolescents in Ghana has been conducted mainly among senior high school students. Aims: We aimed to estimate the 12-month prevalence of suicide attempts and describe some of the general and gender-specific associated factors among adolescents attending junior high schools (JHSs) in Ghana. Method: We analyzed data from the 2012 Ghana Global School-Based Student Health Survey. The sample consisted of 1,437 adolescents aged 12–17 years. We performed bivariate and multivariable analyses to assess the associations between 12-month suicide attempts and some psychosocial factors. Results: The overall 12-month prevalence estimate of suicide attempts was 27.6%, with comparable estimates between males (26.4%) and females (28.8%). In the final adjusted multivariable models, bullying victimization (AOR = 2.57; 95% CI = 1.53, 4.31), alcohol use (AOR = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.10, 3.41), and having no close friends (AOR = 0.36; 95% CI = 0.17, 0.75) were associated with increased odds of suicide attempts among males, whereas anxiety (AOR = 2.57; 95% CI = 1.54, 4.29) and being sexually active (AOR = 2.42; 95% CI = 1.25, 4.68) were associated with increased odds of suicide attempts in females. Limitations: The correlational nature of this study did not allow for causal inferences. Conclusion: The study underscores adolescent suicide attempts as a public health concern in Ghana.

Religious leaders play a key role in providing support to persons in mental health crisis. The aim of this study is to examine how religious leaders in the Ga Municipal District of Ghana perceive their role in the prevention of suicide in their community and the kinds of help they provide to persons in suicidal crisis. A semi-structured interview guide was used to gather data from 28 religious leaders. Thematic analysis of the transcribed data showed that religious leaders perceive their role in suicide prevention as frontliners with a caring obligation to help suicidal persons because of the possible loss of a life. Further, when religious leaders interact with suicidal persons, they create healing communities, provide lay counseling, provide referrals to mental health professionals, offer prayer and deliverance, provide social support, and induce hope in such persons. Implications for interprofessional collaboration and gatekeeper training for religious leaders in Ghana are addressed.

The literature on behavioral outcomes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic is inundated with mental health burdens such as depression and stress disorders. The current study investigated gender invariance on resilience and post-traumatic growth (PTG) as positive psychological changes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 381 survivors of the COVID-19 infection completed measurements of resilience, PTG, violence and stigma experience, and mental health problems like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, multivariate regression, and a latent profile analysis. The results revealed that more than half of the participants had high scores on resilience (53.6%) and PTG (60.9%). The positive psychological changes, although independent of each other, were moderated by gender, and influenced by the negative experiences of participants such as stigma, violence, and PTSD. Latent profile analyses revealed three classes of participants, two of which were characterized by high scores on mental health problems and PTG. The clusters were invariant across gender. Surviving COVID-19 contributed to resilience and PTG. These can be targeted for intervention programs to mitigate the mental health burden occasioned by the pandemic.

Procrastination on academic tasks is a common problem affecting learning and achievement of university students globally. In Western and developed countries, personality types have been implicated ...

Problem gambling among young people is now a public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the behaviour remains understudied, particularly, among rural-dwelling young people in countries within the subregion. We aimed to estimate the 12 months prevalence of problem gambling and to describe the overall and gender differences and commonalities in personal factors and social adversities associated with problem gambling among adolescents in rural Ghana. We conducted a cross-sectional survey involving a random sample of 1101 in-school adolescents aged 10–19 years in a rural district in Eastern Ghana; we used the DSM-IV-Multiple Response-Juvenile (DSM-IV-MR-J) questionnaire to assess problem gambling during the previous 12 months. Personal lifestyle and psychosocial variables were assessed using adopted items from the 2012 WHO–Global School-based Student Health Survey. Overall, three in 10 adolescents (3 in 10 females; 4 in 10 males) in rural Ghana reported problem gambling in the previous 12 months. Female adolescents who experienced problem gambling were more likely to report family-related social adversities, while adolescent male problem gambling was associated with school-related factors and interpersonal factors outside the family context. Regardless of gender, sexual abuse victimisation was associated with three times increase in the odds of experiencing problem gambling. Relative to the prevalence of gambling among adolescents in urban contexts in other countries within sub-Saharan Africa, the estimates of problem gambling among in-school rural adolescents in Ghana are higher. Although further studies are needed to understand the nuances of the behaviour, the evidence of this study underscores the need for general and targeted health promotion, intervention and prevention efforts to mitigate the family, school, and interpersonal social adversities associated with adolescent problem gambling in rural Ghana. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s10899-020-09987-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

BackgroundEmotional regulation forms an integral part of healthcare delivery. In the performance of the core duties of nursing and midwifery, health professionals are expected to enhance occupationally/organisationally required emotions. The purpose of this study is to explore.The meaning nurses and midwives give to emotional labour as well as the coping resources employed by these professionals in order to manage the emotional demands of their profession.MethodA qualitative study was conducted using a semi-structured interview guide with fifteen (15) purposively selected nurses and midwives. Interviews were recorded and simultaneously translated and transcribed. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.ResultsOur findings showed that participants conceptualized emotional labour as display of rules. Sadness, abuse and bullying, poor incentivisation, emotional exhaustion and emotional mix bag were reported by the participants as emotional demands and deficits. Nurses and midwives coped with emotional labour through the use of five (5) main resources: psychological capital, routinisation of emotions, religious resources, social support and job security.ConclusionNursing and midwifery professional duties are accompanied with emotional regulations which tend to have consequential effects on a myriad of work-related issues. Clinical healthcare training needs to intensify and equip professionals with the skills of regulating and managing their emotions since managing emotional demands are central to effective healthcare delivery.

Inter-sectoral collaboration health care model is essential for effective suicide prevention and treatment. This brief report presents three cases to illustrate two important facts in suicidology and related observed dynamics working as suicide researchers in Ghana. The first fact is that suicidal work is a multidisciplinary approach. The second: there may be contextual factors which may make a multidisciplinary approach in working with a suicidal person difficult in Ghana. The first two cases involved the work of a Clinical Psychologist/Suicidologist (First author), while the third involved the work of a Community Psychologist/Suicidologist (Second Author). Thematic analysis of experiences showed the trajectories of tensions and prospects involved when working as a team in providing help for persons in suicidal crisis in Ghana. Based on the findings, we make recommendations for scaling up mental health education and suicide training for allied professionals towards enriching and expanding inter-sectoral collaboration in preventing and treating suicidality.

This article presents a case example of media engagement for public education and counselling on suicide in Ghana. Data were drawn from 11 telephone interviews that assessed the impact a TV program had on persons experiencing suicidal crisis. Qualitative content analysis showed that the program helped to reduce the crisis by offering an empathic identification with suicidal persons. Hope induction and opportunity for seeing options, as well as provision of direct help or links to available help resources also emerged. Given the deep-seated stigma of suicide in Ghana, the media can serve a critical role in anti-stigma suicide campaigns and public education towards effective suicide prevention in Ghana.

Background: Irresponsible media reporting of suicide is a potential risk for copycat suicide. There is a paucity of studies from sub-Saharan Africa on the quality of media reporting of suicide. Objectives: We assessed the compliance of Ghanaian online media outlets with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for media reporting of suicide. Methods: We searched 10 local media outlets with strong online presence in Ghana, to identify suicide-related news reports from 2000 through 2019. We applied summative content analysis and chi-square [Formula: see text] test to the data. Results: We included 288 news reports, of which 261 (90.6%) were completed suicides, 7 (2.4%) were attempted suicides and 20 (6.9%) were homicide suicides. Most of the news reports failed to comply with the WHO guidelines: 92.7% mentioned the specific method of the suicide act, 82.6% included ‘suicide’ in the headline and 55.6% included photos of the victims. The [Formula: see text] tests indicated that privately owned media outlets were more likely than publicly owned to post a photo of the victim, [Formula: see text] = 17.37, p Conclusion: Regardless of the ownership of the media outlet (whether private or publicly owned), mostly, the online reportage of suicidal behaviour in Ghana deviates sharply from the international recommended best practice by the WHO.

The objective of this study was to examine the interactive effect of gender, rural–urban residence, and socioeconomic status on early sexual debut among young adults in Ghana. The study used the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey with a sample of 2746 sexually active youth (males = 670 and females = 2076) aged 15–24. We used multivariate logistic regression to analyse the data. Our results showed that female youth in urban areas and those from the wealthiest households were less likely to initiate early sexual debut. Additionally, youth resident in urban areas from rich households are less likely to initiate early debut. However, a 3-way interactive effective revealed that female youth resident in urban areas from rich households were found to be more likely to initiate early debut. Our findings underscores that gender-based sexual and reproductive health interventions and programmes may be more appropriate for adolescent females in rich households living in urban areas. These intervention should reach these teenagers before they start engaging in sexual intercourse.

Abstract. Background: Condemnatory reactions toward suicide are prevalent in Africa, yet no study has examined how society reacts to suicides from the perspective of suicide-bereaved persons. Aims: This qualitative study explored societal reactions to suicides so as to further our understanding of the problem in Ghana. Method: Using a semi-structured interview guide, we interviewed 45 close relations of 14 men who took their lives. Results: The reactions followed ontological questions of what suicide means (construing the act), its impact (consequences), why it happened and who to blame (attributions and allocation of responsibility), and how to remedy perceived damages (damage control). Limitations: Focusing on suicides of only men might have limited the range of societal reactions to suicide in general. Conclusion: Reparative and retributive societal reactions to suicides were influenced predominantly by views that suicide is an extraordinary moral evil in the setting. Increased culturally focused suicide education can improve people's understanding and enhance responsive suicide prevention and postvention.

A known risk factor for suicide globally is substance use. Despite being public health problems across the globe, research on the association between suicide and substance use have often ignored the socio-cultural context in which these behaviors play out. This qualitative study examines bereaved persons’ perception of the roles of substance use in the lifestyles and the suicides of their deceased relations. We conducted an in-depth qualitative interview with between two to seven close relations of nine men who killed themselves in Ghana in the period 2014 and 2015. A qualitative content analysis of bereaved persons’ accounts shows three themes: Behavioral changes connected with substance use, Consequences of substance use and misuse, and Alcohol presence in the suicide act. Thus, novel and excessive alcohol or drug use followed economic, financial, or relational stressors faced by the men. Personal disruption and social disintegration occurring as consequences of continued substance use triggered suicidal behaviors, which in turn appeared to have shaped in particular, use of alcohol as ingredients or tools in the suicide acts itself in some of the suicides. Contextual nuances shaping a dynamic interrelationship between substance use and suicide calls attention to viewing substances as ingredients with shifting functions during the suicidal process. We propose that encouraging emotional disclosure, supporting men with problem-solving skills, and regulating the availability and use of substances through effective alcohol and drug policies may be vital for an integrative public health approach towards suicide prevention in Ghana.

Community leaders can play an important role in suicide prevention because they are potential gatekeepers in resource-poor settings. To investigate their attitudes towards suicide and the role they play when people are in suicidal crisis, 10 community leaders were interviewed in a rural community in Ghana. Thematic Analysis of the interviews showed that leaders held two conflicting views about suicide: health crisis and moral taboo. They also viewed the reasons for suicide as psychosocial strains more than psychiatric factors. Though they viewed suicide as a moral taboo, they maintained a more neutral position in their gatekeeping role: providing support for persons in suicidal crisis more often than exerting a condemnatory attitude. Implications for gatekeeper training are discussed.

Background The relationship between macro-level mental health system indicators and population suicide rates is an area of contention in the literature, necessitating an analysis of current cross-national data to document any new trend in the relationship. Objective This study investigated whether mental health system indicators are associated with national suicide rates. Method Using an ecological study design and multivariate non-parametric robust regression models, data on suicide rates and mental health system indicators of 191 countries retrieved from WHOs 2017 Mental Health Atlas were compared. Results Findings revealed that the average suicide mortality rate was significantly higher in high- income countries, relative to low-income countries. High-income countries are significantly more likely to have high number of mental health professionals, mental health policies and legislation, independent mental health authority and suicide prevention programs. These mental health system indicators demonstrated significant and positive association with suicide, suggesting that countries scoring high on these factors have higher odds of being categorized as high suicide risk countries. Conclusion The findings have several implications for policy and practice, including the need to make existing mental health systems very responsive to suicide prevention.

Suicidal behavior is condemned by religions and tradition, and suicide attempts are criminalized by law in several African countries, including Ghana and Uganda. Suicide and suicide attempts may have severe consequences for both the entire family and the community. Religion is known to act as a protective coping force that helps people to make meaning and find comfort when dealing with stressful life events or situations like suicide. In this article, we focus on the cultural interpretations of the dominating religion in Ghana and Uganda, Christianity, and whether these affect attitudes toward suicidal behavior, meaning making, and coping possibilities for people who have attempted suicide or are bereaved by suicide. This article is based on data material from previous studies on the mentioned topics by the authors.

The increase in the trends of the repealing of anti-suicide laws especially, in the High Income Countries, is largely due to the growth of evidence that suggests that difficult psychosocial factors and existential adversities are responsible for suicidal behaviour, which thereby warrant advocacy to help rather than punish persons who attempt suicide. Despite this trend, suicide attempt is still criminalised in Ghana. Thus, persons in the country who attempt suicide are apprehended and prosecuted, and upon conviction, receive criminal penalties ranging from hefty fines to prison terms (between 1 and 3 years). This chapter explores the sociohistorical, cultural and political antecedents to anti-suicide laws; highlights the dangers in the predominant binary discourse on decriminalisation efforts; and situates suicide and suicide attempt within the notion of “social suffering” in an attempt to foster a kinship between mental health and the legal system for an effective population-based suicide prevention in Ghana.

Background A growing global concern is that suicide research has paid little attention to young people with disabilities, particularly, in low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs). We aimed to estimate the 12-month prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempt and describe some associations among deaf adolescents in Ghana. Methods This is a cross-sectional anonymous self-report survey involving a nationally representative random sample of 450 school-going deaf adolescents. Data analysis included bivariate and multivariable approaches. Results The overall 12-month prevalence of suicidal ideation was 19·3% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 15·8–23·3) and suicidal attempt was 15·6% (95% CI = 12·3–19·2). Although alcohol use and parental divorce were strongly associated with increased odds of both suicidal ideation and attempt, high subjective mental well-being was associated with reduced odds of both suicidal ideation and attempt. Living with no parents and being a final year student were associated with suicidal ideation, while male gender was associated with suicidal attempt. Conclusions The prevalence of suicidal behaviours among school-going deaf adolescents in this study compares with estimates among in-school non-deaf adolescents in Ghana and other LAMICs in Africa, and also highlights the need for prevention efforts against the onset of suicidal ideation and possible transition to attempt and suicide among deaf adolescents.

Using the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, this study explores the correlates of early sexual debut among 2,746 (males = 670 and females = 2,076) sexually active youth aged 15 to 24 years in Ghana. The results indicate that males aged 15 to 19 years (odds ratio [ OR] = 8.84, p

To explore the socio-demographic profiles and the key characteristics of nonfatal suicide attempts and suicide deaths in older persons in Ghana, content analysis was applied to 71 local media news reports between 2000 and 2017 on nonfatal suicide attempts and suicide deaths involving older persons. A disproportionately higher number of males (97.2%) aged 50–64 years with various agricultural occupational backgrounds died by suicide through the use of lethal means such as hanging, gunshot, and self-poisoning. Marriage and family problems; poverty and financial difficulties; evasion of dishonour and punishment; health problems; loss; interpersonal difficulties; and previous attempted suicide were the reasons for the behaviour. The findings are discussed within the integrated motivational-volitional model of suicide in older persons. The findings support the recent clarion call for a shift of research focus onto the mental health of (older) men in Ghana, and underscore the need to intensify general public education on recognising the warning signs of suicide and the lines of action to take to save older persons from suicide deaths.

In Ghana, some studies have reported a high rate for both fatal and non-fatal suicidal behaviors among men. The current study aimed at understanding the psychosocial circumstances involved in male suicides. We interviewed between two to seven close relations of each of 12 men who died by suicide. Interpretative phenomenological analysis of data indicates that experiences of shame related to loss of economic control, breach of patriarchal norms, and threats to sexual competence contributed to the suicides. Addressing socioeconomic issues, creating opportunities for men to disclose their emotions, and identifying sources of these emotions may help prevent suicide among men.

We explored the views of members of parliament (MPs) in Ghana on the call to decriminalise attempted suicide. We applied reflexive thematic analysis to Parliamentary Hansards (2017–2020) on calls to decriminalise attempted suicide in Ghana. 11 MPs shared their stance for or against the call. We developed three major themes that entailed, often, opposing views: (1) deterrent effect of the law (against: the law punishes and deters to protect life; for: the law is insensitive and has ironic effects), (2) enforcement of the law (against: leave things as they are, the law is not enforced, anyway; for: crime is not self-inflicted) and (3) prioritisation of suicide prevention (against: focus on more pressing issues, but resource support systems; for: the law and legitimate support systems cannot co-exist). The findings indicate two needs: to extend suicide literacy to Ghanaian MPs, and to initiate a public/private member’s bill on attempted suicide decriminalisation.

Engaging non-conventional gatekeepers such as the police presents both promises and perils. Although studies have relied on police data for researching suicide and other sensitive topics in Africa, there is a paucity of literature that explores or reflects on police gatekeeping and its research implications. This paper presents authors’ reflections on police gatekeeping in a qualitative suicide study in Accra, Ghana. The main observation is that the process was double-edged. On the one hand, it led to field delays and costs, (mis)apprehensions and positionality problems, and trust building challenges. On the other hand, it vouched for research(er) credibility, provided therapeutic openings, and facilitated the viability of research with the suicide bereaved. Sensitivity to research context, sensitising the police, and reinforcing ‘therapeutic-research discourse’ with participants, are recommended means for aligning participants’ goals to research goals and for achieving therapeutic disclosures.

The maiden register of the Ghana Psychological Council published in September 2015 represents the first national official standing register of psychologists in Ghana. Drawing on this maiden register, this paper presents a seminal analysis of the distribution of psychologists in Ghana in terms of categories of specialisation, gender composition, areas of employment, location of practice, and institutions of training. A copy of the gazette of registered psychologists was obtained from the office of the registrar of the Ghana Psychological Council and quantitative content analysis was conducted on the list of registered mainstream psychologists. Among other things, the analysis shows that there are 166 (largely Ghanaian-trained) psychologists categorised into six main subfields in the country. Females represent the majority in terms of gender composition. Colleges/polytechnics/universities are the main areas of employment; the practising locations of 69.9% of the psychologists are in Accra, with no psychologist registered from the Brong-Ahafo and Upper East regions. Despite the challenges with the maiden register of psychologists in Ghana, the register does provide a good database for reflections on the availability, diversity and distribution of psychologists in Ghana.

This study explored the views of judges and lawyers of the superior courts of Ghana on the law criminalizing attempted suicide. Qualitative data were collected from 12 experienced legal practitioners of the superior courts (five judges and seven lawyers) using a semi-structured interview schedule. Thematic analysis of the data yielded three main perspectives: In defence of the Law, Advocating a Repeal, and Pro-Health Orientation. Although exploratory, the findings of this study offer cues for stepping up suicide literacy and advocacy programmes toward either a repeal of the law or a reform.

This study retrospectively investigates the influence of child (i.e., gender), care-giver (e.g., who grew up with), household size (i.e., number of siblings grew up with) and community (i.e., rural versus urban) factors on childhood maltreatment, as well as the impacts of maltreatment on psychological functioning. A cross-sectional survey and self-report methodology is used to gather data from 300 students of the University of Ghana. The results show that being a male, growing up in rural areas, living with more than 3 siblings in the same household and being raised by both biological parents have significant main effects on childhood maltreatment. Analyses of the interaction effects show that living with more than 5 siblings in a rural household with "other" parents (i.e., non-biological parents) has a significant effect on physical abuse. Furthermore, males from rural households consisting of more than 3 siblings and who did not grow up with both biological parents endorsed significantly more physical abuse and physical neglect, compared with the females. With respect to the psychological outcome, childhood maltreatment significantly predicts and account for significant variance in depression (34%), self-efficacy (18%) and life satisfaction (22%). The findings and the implications of the study are briefly discussed. Language: en

Non-utilization of mental health resources is a well-documented problem among adolescents and young adults. However, little is known about the psychological help-seeking intentions of young adults in Ghana. The aim of this study was to examine the predictors of psychological help-seeking intentions among university students in Accra, Ghana (N = 270). Using a cross-sectional survey, data was collected using standardised questionnaires (Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale [ATSPPH], Self-Stigma of Seeking Help [SSOSH], Social Stigma of Receiving Psychological Help Scale [SSRPH] and Perceived Social Support [MSPSS]) from students in a public university on the determinants of intentions of seeking psychological help. Data was analyzed using standard multiple regression. Results indicated that for this population, the intention of seeking psychological help was moderate, but varied according to the year of study. Out of the four (4) predictors, ATSPPH, SSOSH and Perceived Social Support significantly predicted intentions to seeking psychological help. Key findings and practical implications for research and psychological interventions are discussed.

To understand the experiences of suicidal persons in Ghana, 10 persons were interviewed after they attempted suicide. Thematic analysis of data showed that motivation for suicidal behavior included social taunting, hopelessness, and partner's infidelity. Suicidal persons reported stigma expressed through physical molestation and social ostracism, which left them traumatized. However, they coped through social support from relations, religious faith, and use of avoidance. Community-wide sensitive education should target reducing stigma and also increase mental health education on suicidal behavior in Ghanaian communities.

Background Over two million Ghanaians suffer from moderate to mild mental disorders but prevalence levels and determinants among university students remains fairly unknown. A better understanding of depression and its determinants is necessary in developing appropriate interventions in this population group. Method A convenient sample of 270 students from a public university (132 males and 138 females) were interviewed using a questionnaire to record socio-demographic variables, HIV risk behaviours. Depressive symptoms were measured using Centre for Epidemiological Studies Short Depression Scale (CES-D 10). Multiple logistic regression was used to identify the determinants. Results The mean age was 22 (SD=2.39). Using a cut-off point of 10 of the CES-D10, the overall prevalence of depression was 39.2%; with 31.1% of mild to moderate depression and 8.1% severe depressive symptoms. Significant predictors included lack of social support, religion not having an impact on life, heavy alcohol consumption and traumatic experiences such as being forced to have sex, physically and sexually abused as a child, and beaten by a sex partner. Limitations Given the cross-sectional nature of the research, the findings are limited highlighting the need for further research. Also, relying on self-report of symptoms could have influenced the outcome. The use of a single university means that there could be regional differences in depression in other universities. Conclusion Depression occurs in a significant number of students. An appropriate intervention must be implemented to help reduce the burden of depression, especially to those found to be at risk.

In Ghana, incest is considered sinful, taboo, and illegal. However, recent media reports show that incest has become a daily reality in Ghana. This study is a situational analysis of the pattern of incest in Ghana as reported in the media from January 2008 through July 2015. Qualitative content analysis was conducted on 48 incest news reports in Ghana. The findings showed that father–daughter incest was most frequent across the study period. Forty-seven females aged 3 to 25 years and a male aged 3 years were identified as victims. Generally, the incest lasted between 1 day and 13 years before disclosure. Perpetrators employed psychological and/or physical methods to coerce their victims. Marital difficulties, diabolical control, and seduction by victim featured prominently as alleged motives behind the abuse. The study observes that the recent increase in father–daughter incest warrants an immediate shift of research attention onto men’s mental health in Ghana.