7th Call - Dr. Joseph Osafo

Project Title: Suicide, Risks and the Law in Ghana.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Joseph Osafo (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ghana)

Email Address: josafo@ug.edu.gh

Award Amount: GHC 24,953.00

Project Status: On-going

Summary:

Suicide remains an important public health issue in many societies. Recent estimate by the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicate that about 1 million deaths globally is as a result of suicide. This places suicide among the top 20 causes of death globally. Research into prevalence, patterns and causes of suicide has been limited to western societies. The accumulation of knowledge on this phenomenon over the years have informed advocacy and prevention methods which has had positive impact on prevalence rate as well as public attitude and policy in various countries. There is however a dearth of research into the phenomenon of suicide in Africa, its prevalence and underlying causes. Recent research effort is beginning to indicate that suicide is becoming a major public health problem in Ghana and much of Africa. This public health concern is exacerbated by the criminalisation of suicide in several Africa countries including Ghana.

The law criminalising suicide in Ghana is a colonial legacy, but has some public support because of its perceived deterrence value. At the same time the underlying risk factors associated with suicide, particularly the psychosocial and cultural factors that give rise to suicidal behaviour are poorly understood in the Africa context. The limited studies in Ghana on suicide are beginning to suggest patterns and public understanding of this phenomenon as well as reasons for suicidal attempts among survivors. However, these studies are limited by their methodological approach. The present study aims to extend the literature by investigating public knowledge of the law on suicide and risks associated with suicidal behaviour in Ghana. The study seeks to address the following key research questions: 1) what is the extent of public knowledge of the law on suicide in Ghana? 2) What do the public think about the deterrence value of the law (i.e., does the law prevent suicide? 3) What psychological/social and cultural factors constitute risk for suicide in Ghana and how do these factors compare with what is known in Western cultures?  4) What is public opinion on public health approach to suicide prevention? The study will utilise a community sample of 700 adult participants in Accra. The sample will be selected based on the 2010 Census Enumerated Areas from the Ghana Statistical Service. A random sample of households in selected communities based on neighbourhood socioeconomic demographics, and other key demographic indicators will be utilised in the selection process. In addition to the survey, data will also be collected using in-depth qualitative interviews on key variables from lawyers, the police and judges to explore their attitudes toward the law criminalising attempted suicide. Again, a subsample of suicide attempters will be identified and interviewed. This dataset would allow a follow up analysis of key issues identified in previous studies that have relied on a small sample of suicide attempters. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) will be used to analyse the survey data while NVIVO will be used to structure the qualitative data and thematic analysis used to analyse them. The study will contribute to knowledge on public perception and attitude towards suicide and the law criminalising suicide. It will unravel the cultural basis for public reaction to suicide and reasons underlying their views on the law on suicide. In terms of policy relevance, the findings from the study will provide basis for informed debate on the law criminalising suicide and the best policy strategy for addressing problem of suicide. It will provide alternative approach and solution to suicide as a public health issue rather than legal problem with potential negative consequences. Finally, the findings will help in developing effective advocacy, treatment and prevention strategy to decrease the phenomenon of suicide in Ghana. Dissemination of the findings will form an important component of this study.