SUICIDE IS NOT A CRIMINAL OFFENCE!

Last week the Minister of Health Dr Edwin Dikoloti deliberated at the commemoration of the World Mental Health Day held in Lobatse and highlighted on the worrying suicide trends in Botswana.

According to the Minister, 700 suicides occurred in Botswana in the past two years. Whilst doing my midweek shopping in a local supermarket, I overheard fellow shoppers castigating individuals who attempt suicide as they reacted to the suicide statistics and called for the police to arrest them. The shoppers were of the view that suicide is a crime punishable under law. Today’s discussion will therefore centre on addressing the misleading assertions by the “shoppers” and demystify the issue of suicide.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), suicide is the leading cause of death among the youth. It also affects the global population with at least 700 people dying of suicide every year across the world. Furthermore, an estimated 77 % of suicides in 2019 occurred in low to medium income countries hence justifying the high prevalence of suicide cases in Botswana; which is a medium income country.

There is a lot of stigma and myths surrounding suicide which dissuade people from seeking help. Another dimension that leads to misinformation on suicide is that suicide is deemed a taboo in local circles thus rarely discussed.

Suicide is a public health problem characterised by the intentional act of killing self as a result of underlying mental health problems or psychosocial factors.

There is a link between suicide and mental health as some conditions like depression, substance use disorders and schizophrenia can facilitate suicidal acts. Additional risk factors include life-stressors like being diagnosed with a chronic illness, financial problems and relationship break-ups to name but a few. Further evidence highlights that vulnerable populations like lesbian, gays, bisexuals and transgender groups experience high rates of suicide because of discrimination.

Suicide is not a crime in Botswana although it is a crime in a few countries (although efforts are being made to decriminalise it).

The fact that there are psychological risk factors behind suicide acts dispels the assertion that it is a crime. It is important that there is public education on suicide as a psychological problem. The lack of information is a barrier thus there is need for changes in attitudes and behaviour towards those who have attempted suicide in order to improve accessibility to mental health services.