The Duala Medical Centre (DMC), in collaboration with the 37 Military Hospital Therapy and Wellness Department (TWD), have held a sensitisation talk on suicide awareness and its prevention at the Naval Headquarters, Records and Forces Secondary School in Burma Camp on Wednesday 11 September 2024.

As part of Suicide Awareness Month, which runs from 11 September 2024 to 26 September 2024, the programme aims to raise awareness about the increasing rate of suicide and strategies for minimisation.

During the presentation, Warrant Officer Class II (WOII) Owusu-Darkwah Kwame from the Therapy and Wellness Department addressed the rising rate of suicide, methods for detecting suicidal individuals, an overview of health, and the prevalence of suicide. WOII Owusu-Darkwah highlighted signs to watch for, including drastic behaviour changes, giving away important items, isolation, attention-seeking and risky behaviours, and extreme mood swings.

Statistics indicate that seven hundred thousand (700,000) people commit suicide annually worldwide, with fifteen thousand (15,000) suicides occurring in Ghana alone. Suicide is the leading cause of death among individuals aged 15-19 and men under 45 years.

He emphasised that suicide is not a normal stress response and urged attendees to seek appropriate help regardless of gender, sociocultural, or religious values, which can act as barriers to seeking assistance.

Additionally, the presentation covered various methods of suicide, including hanging, wrist-cutting, jumping from s, using lethal weapons such as knives and guns, poisoning, drowning, and self-immolation.