James sits in his room in total darkness and silence at 1:34 a.m fixing his eyes on absolutely nothing and convincing himself that he’s listening to the music playing.
His family thinks he is asleep. What could someone be doing at that time of the night other than sleeping? Most of his friends have not even realised that he has been off social media for three weeks. Those who realised think he is just being distant for attention’s sake. Nobody really knows that he has been crying for weeks, that he forgets to eat some days, and has not come out of his room the whole week. No one knows that he has so much on his head that he cannot see any positive way out. All that is ringing in his head is “maybe no one would care if I was gone by tomorrow “.
This is the reality of many young people in Ghana right now. The same question keeps ringing in their head. Some even talk and laugh with us as if they are not going through anything at all. We all just assume we are fine and move on, only to wake up and hear that one of us is no more, and that is very frightening if you ask me.
Official figures from the Mental Health Authority state that 134 people died by suicide in the first half of 2024 and more than 1,170 people attempted suicide. The number increased in 2025, when the country recorded 175 deaths and roughly 1,173 attempts in the same first half of the year. Health authorities reported that these numbers consisted of more males than females. Most of these people were also recorded to be between the ages of 15 and 29. These are just the recorded figures. Imagine the ones that were not recorded. One thing is consistent in the numbers. It does not decrease; rather, it keeps increasing, and this should be a societal issue and not an individual one.
Every time the suicide conversation is had, we just talk about the causes like we are answering exam questions. We state and explain like we are in for marks. Unemployment, pressure from family, academic pressure, financial hardship, and substance abuse, just to mention a few. We do not go beyond the causes of these causes; we beautifully state them. This alone is the reason why we have not been able to tackle the issue. This time around, let’s ask some questions and try to figure out some answers for ourselves.
One question we need to ask is do parents know really their children? Many parents provide for their children financially and think that is all the child needs. As the children grow, they face many challenges along the way, and it is the responsibility of the parent to hold their hand and walk that journey with them. But what do we see many parents do? All they ask is that their children must be at the top of their game in school; they must be magically disciplined from childhood, and they should not have any problems because they are young. But is this really the case? Many young people deal with a lot of problems as they grow. The pressure to keep up with the good performance everyone knows them for is always there.
They think that without their academic achievements, they do not have anything to offer. How do parents speak to their children? Is it with love, understanding, and respect? Sometimes all these young people need is someone to ask how their school day went and listen to them rant. Most parents are always busy, so some even shut their children up in the name of “they are disturbing”. Parents do not even know the warning signs to look out for so they can prevent suicide. Many young people are just carrying so much pain and trauma from their childhood, and it is affecting them in their daily lives. This is a subtle cause that grows into a bigger problem.
Another question we should be concerned about is: can young people talk about mental health problems without being mocked? In the different settings young people find themselves in, can they comfortably talk about mental health without people thinking they are doing too much, they are seeking attention, or that they have no real problems? The answer everyone would give quickly if asked this question is a resounding yes, but do we really mean it, and do we act on it?
Do families, schools, workplaces, and religious bodies create a comforting atmosphere for these young people to air their minds? Families shut their young people up and tell them they are too young to be talking about such things. Schools have counsellors, but the counsellors do not create a welcoming environment for the students to come talk to them. As for religious bodies, you tell them your challenge today; at the next meeting, your story is now the topic of discussion, and that may even be a topic the religious leader will use to preach to the followers.
Some of them will tell you that they are evil spirits and you should have the power to rebuke them. All these things make the young Ghanaian scared to even open up to talk about what he or she is going through. They have lost hope in the institutions that are supposed to help them solve their issues. Now they just live in their head and wonder till they cannot take anymore; then they resort to taking their own lives.
To the journalists and media at large, do we report suicide cases professionally and responsibly? Do we report suicide cases like a normal straight news story, or do we dedicate time and effort to it and make it an in-depth story so that more awareness can be created and more help can be solicited? We are the voice that people trust to speak for them when they cannot speak for themselves, and it is important to fulfil our obligation to the Ghanaian citizen, especially the youth who keep losing their lives to suicide.
James, whom we talked about at the beginning of this conversation, did not live to see the next day. His family and friends kept on saying, “But we thought he was fine”. They did not know what their beloved went through during the last days of his life and how hard he tried to stay strong but could not win this fight. We do not want our dear ones to go through what James went through during his final days, and this is why we need to take action.
If you are reading this, try to be a good friend, sister, brother, and keeper to those around you. Check up on them and go beyond the small talk because you never know what your favourite person may be going through, and if you notice any change in behaviour, please do well to reach out and offer all the help you can. If you also find yourself in a difficult situation and you feel like all hope is lost, reach out to someone you trust. Believe me, there are many people around who would love to hear your story and are ever ready to help you through your difficult situation. You do not have to go through a difficult time alone. Life really does get better.
As we celebrate Suicide Prevention Awareness Month this September with the theme “Changing the Narrative on Suicide after Decriminalisation”, let us come together to make the world a better place where we can all be comfortable talking about our challenges without being mocked or harshly criticised. If you ever need help, you can reach out to the 24/7 official toll-free mental health helpline on 0800678678 or you could visit any of the psychiatric hospitals close to you for help. Together we can fight against suicide and save the precious lives of our loved ones.
