Mental Health Is Not Important To Our Parliament – University Don

Even though it is an indisputable fact that everyone will (at some point in time) die, the issue of death is one that naturally brings fear and panic to every human being. It is rather ironical that it is now very common in Ghana to hear about suicide cases on the various media don platforms almost every day. Instead of guarding their lives, people are now taking their own lives and this issue is one that propels a lot of questions. In an interview with Ahotor FM’s Yaw Nkrumah on the mid-morning show (AhotorMmre), Dr. Joseph Osafo, Clinical Psychologist and Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon stated that the mental health of Ghanaians is not important to parliament and hence the numerous suicide cases.

Explaining this, the doctor said that the issue of suicide is basically a mental one. He stated that many people commit suicide because of things such as depression, failure in exams, poverty, heart break, pain, frustration among others, which affect people mentally and as a result threatens their sense of living. According to him, not all persons can stand such situations and hence commit suicide.

Dr. Osafo added that he believes that Ghanaians and the government of Ghana are not concerned about the mental health of the people. He said they are more concerned about and invest more in politics and others rather than in mental health.

In the doctor’s view, suicide cases would decrease if critical attention is paid to suicide issues in Ghana. He also said that it was for this reason that he together with the chief Psychiatrist, Dr. Akwasi Osei and others wrote a petition to parliament in 2012. He mentioned, however, that they have not received any feedback for this petition yet and intend to write another one.

Dr. Osafo further advised that there is the need to get closer to people who are in such mental depressions and help them so as to reduce suicide case.

BY: Belinda Bimpomaah Bekoe/ahotoronline.com