Citation

Asare-Doku W, Donnir GM, Osei-Bonsu P, Osafo J. Lancet Psychiatry 2024; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S2215-0366(24)00182-2

PMID

38885667

Abstract

During colonial rule, Ghana was governed by British laws and suicide was a criminal offence. After independence in 1957, the law against suicide remained in the Statutes (Criminal Code 1960; Act 29, section 57), meaning that people who attempted suicide could be prosecuted and punished. The law states that "Whoever attempts to commit suicide shall be guilty of a misdemeanour". Over the past 10 years, there have been growing concerns about the criminalisation of suicide attempts and its effects on mental health outcomes. The passing of the modern Mental Health Act in 2012 represented a significant milestone in Ghana's effort to address mental health issues, including suicide prevention, as the Criminal Code did not have any provisions for mental health support. Until March 2023, the Criminal Code 1960 law continued to be in force, with evidence of its vigorous use to incarcerate those who had a suicidal crisis

Language: en