Citation

Hjelmeland H, Kinyanda E, Knizek BL. Med. Sci. Law 2012; 52(3): 148-151.

Affiliation

Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Social Work and Health Science, Trondheim, and Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Department of Health Surveillance and Suicide Prevention, Oslo, Norway.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, British Academy of Forensic Sciences, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1258/msl.2012.011107

PMID

22528562

Abstract

Attempted suicide is still criminalized in Uganda. However, the Ministry of Health has asked the psychiatric community to help in the work to abolish this law. The purpose of this study was to investigate how Ugandan mental health workers view this law. We conducted a qualitative interview study of 30 mental health workers (psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric clinical officers and psychiatric nurses). We found that two-thirds of this sample wanted the law abolished, mainly because they view suicidal behaviour as a mental health issue. Some, however, wanted to keep the law because they viewed it as a suicide prevention in that it would deter people from killing themselves. A few were ambivalent. The findings indicate a need for increased awareness of the negative consequences of the law as well as educating mental health workers in understanding of suicidal behaviour and suicidal people.

Language: en