Citation

Osafo J, Akotia CS, Hjelmeland H, Knizek BL. Death Stud. 2017; 41(8): 532-541.

Affiliation

Department of Mental Health , Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/07481187.2017.1333357

PMID

28532253

Abstract

The cultural context in which suicide occurs has been emphasized as critical in understanding the act and informing prevention. Yet the penchant of psychiatrizing suicidality in mainstream suicidology relegates cultural issues to the background. Through the lenses of critical cultural suicidology, we have re-emphasized the importance of culture by reviewing the two major meanings of suicide as observed in our eight-year study in Ghana: moral transgression and life crisis. We have also showed the usefulness of the life crisis perspective of suicidality in reducing stigma and sustaining advocacy in decriminalizing attempted suicide in the country.

Language: en