The Law Criminalizing Attempted Suicide in Ghana
The Views of Clinical Psychologists, Emergency Ward Nurses, and Police Officers
Abstract
Background: Attempted suicide is still considered a crime in Ghana. Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes toward this law held by health workers and police officers in Ghana so as to provide culture-sensitive arguments to aid in abolishing the law. Method: Qualitative interviews were conducted with eight clinical psychologists, eight emergency ward nurses, and eight police officers. Results: The majority of informants did not agree with the law criminalizing attempted suicide in Ghana, although five of the emergency ward nurses and two police officers did. Arguments for agreeing with the law were that people have no right to take life and that the law has a deterrent effect and thus it will help reduce the suicide rate. The main argument for not agreeing with the law was that suicidal behavior is a mental health issue. Those who argued in favor of the law did not seem to reflect much on the reasons for suicidal behavior. Conclusion: Education on how to understand suicidal behavior and suicidal people may aid the work toward decriminalizing attempted suicide in Ghana.
References
2012). Criminal prosecution of suicide attempt survivors in Ghana. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology. Advance online publication. doi:10.1177/0306624X12456986
(Anonymous. (2010). Anti-suicide body advocates reform of criminal code. Retrieved from allafrica.com/stories/201002011570.html
2011). Group wants suicide decriminalized in Ghana. Retrieved from www.adomonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&;view=article&id=9953:grou
(2004). Qualitative content analysis in nursing research: concepts, procedures and measures to achieve trustworthiness. Nurse Education Today, 24, 105–112.
(2012). Mental health workers’ views on the criminalization of suicidal behavior in Uganda. Medicine, Science and the Law, 52, 148–151.
(2011). Psychology students’ views on the criminalisation of suicidal behaviour in Ghana – The effect of education. Chinese Mental Health Journal, 25(9 Suppl.), S292–293.
(2009). Suicide prevention in Pakistan. In , Oxford textbook of suicidology and suicide prevention. A global perspective (pp. 773–775). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
(2004). Criminalizing suicide attempts: Can it be a deterrent? Medicine, Science and the Law, 44, 343–347.
(1992). Decriminalization of suicide in Canada and suicide rates. Psychological Reports, 71, 738.
(1993). Decriminalization of suicide in New Zealand and suicide rates. Psychological Reports, 72, 1050.
(2002). Decriminalization of suicide in seven nations and suicide rates. Psychological Reports, 91, 898.
(1997). On suicide in European countries. Some theoretical, legal and historical views on suicide mortality and its concomitants. Stockholm, Sweden: Almqvist & Wiksell International.
(2012). Attitudes of psychologists and nurses toward suicide and suicide prevention in Ghana: A qualitative study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 49(6), 691–700.
(2011, 5 26). Jailing of suicide man. Time to review our criminal code. Daily Graphic, p. 10.
(1985). Definition of suicide. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson Inc.
(2009). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. Theory, method and research. London, UK: Sage Publications Ltd.
(2009). Suicide prevention in India. Considering religion and culture. In , Oxford textbook of suicidology and suicide prevention. A global perspective (pp. 767–769). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
(Mental health and substance abuse. Fact and figures. Suicide prevention: Emerging from darkness. Retrieved from www.searo.who.int/en/Section1174/ Section1199/Section1567/Section1824_8089.htm
(n.d.).1997). Cry of pain. Understanding suicide and self-harm. London, UK: Penguin Books.
(