Ghana is being urged to break the silence around suicide and make conversations about mental health a normal part of everyday life as the country joins the world to mark World Suicide Prevention Day 2026.
The call has been made by the Ghana Association for Suicide Prevention (GASP) as the global theme, “Changing the Narrative on Suicide,” enters its final year.
The three-year campaign, running from 2024 to 2026, seeks to change how suicide is understood and discussed by moving society away from silence, stigma and judgement towards openness, empathy and support.
GASP says the end of the campaign should not mean the end of the conversation. Instead, the organisation is calling on individuals, families, communities, workplaces, schools, health facilities, religious institutions and online communities to sustain the momentum and make suicide prevention an everyday responsibility.
Globally, suicide continues to claim hundreds of thousands of lives each year. An estimated 727,000 people died by suicide in 2021, while a more recent analysis estimates the number at approximately 746,000 deaths.
Behind every figure is a person; a parent, child, sibling, friend, colleague, neighbor or loved one. Each suicide death can leave deep and lasting emotional, social and economic consequences for families and communities.
Ghana’s own figures point to the urgency of strengthening suicide prevention efforts. The country recorded 134 suicide deaths in 2024, together with more than 1,100 reported suicide attempts.
Early reports from 2025 indicate that 175 suicide deaths were recorded within the first six months of the year.
GASP notes that reported figures may partly reflect improved reporting following the decriminalisation of attempted suicide in Ghana. However, the numbers also underline the need for stronger prevention measures, accessible mental health services and communities where people can speak about emotional distress without fear of judgement.
The concern is particularly significant among young people.
A study involving 1,101 school-going adolescents aged 10 to 19 years in Ghana found that 25.1% reported suicidal thoughts within the previous 12 months.
For GASP, such evidence reinforces the need to take suicide prevention beyond occasional awareness campaigns and into everyday conversations at home, in classrooms, workplaces, health facilities, places of worship and on social media.
Changing the narrative also means changing how people respond when someone says they are struggling.
A person experiencing suicidal thoughts is not necessarily weak, bad or someone who simply needs to “be strong.” They may be experiencing overwhelming psychological pain and need understanding, support and access to appropriate care.
Responses such as “just pray harder,” “think positively” or “forget about it” may be offered with good intentions but can unintentionally make someone feel more isolated.
Faith, spirituality and encouragement can provide important support for many people, particularly within Ghanaian communities. However, these forms of support should complement rather than replace professional mental health care when someone needs additional help.
GASP is therefore encouraging people to listen without judgement, take expressions of distress seriously and help those in difficulty connect with appropriate care.
The organisation’s message is rooted in the belief that mental health should be treated as an essential part of overall health.
“There cannot be health without mental health!”
Changing the narrative also places responsibility on the media, which plays a major role in shaping public understanding of suicide.
GASP says media practitioners need the appropriate knowledge and skills to report suicide responsibly and to steer public conversations in ways that support prevention rather than deepen stigma or harm.
In response, GASP, working with key stakeholders in the media and mental health sectors, including the Mental Health Authority and the World Health Organization (WHO), has developed the “Ghana Guidelines for Appropriate Media Reporting of Suicide.”
The guidelines are being launched by the Mental Health Authority and are intended to provide journalists and other media practitioners with a localized resource for appropriate and responsible reporting of suicide in Ghana.
The initiative comes as suicide-related conversations increasingly take place across traditional media, social media and other digital platforms, making responsible communication more important than ever.
For GASP, the final year of “Changing the Narrative on Suicide” should be viewed not as an endpoint but as a point of transition from a global campaign to a sustained culture of openness and support.
The organisation is calling on Ghanaians to ask questions, listen, offer support and help people experiencing emotional distress connect with professional care.
Anyone experiencing emotional distress or needing mental health support in Ghana can call the Mental Health Authority toll-free helpline on 0800678678.
As Ghana marks World Suicide Prevention Day 2026, the challenge is to ensure that people do not have to reach a crisis point before someone asks how they are doing.
“Suicide prevention is everyone’s business; let’s start the conversation today!” GASP said.
Read the statement below:
