A professor of psychiatry at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria,  Kaduna State, Taiwo Sheikh, has called for a paradigm shift in how society addresses suicide and its prevention to save lives.

Mr Sheikh, who also coordinates the Suicide Prevention Advocacy Working Group, made the call during an interview on Tuesday in Lagos.

He stressed the need to treat individuals who attempted suicide with compassion and advocated changing the narrative around criminalising attempted suicide to encourage more people to seek help.

The psychiatrist criticised existing provisions in the Criminal Code and Penal Code, which classify attempted suicide as an offence punishable by up to one-year imprisonment.

According to him, such laws contribute to significant underreporting of suicide attempts and effectively criminalise victims who require care, support, and understanding rather than punishment.

He maintained that, as part of the fundamental human right to health, individuals who attempted suicide should receive appropriate care and psychosocial support instead of facing legal sanctions.

Mr Sheikh emphasised the need to focus on prevention, decriminalisation of attempted suicide, and restoring hope to affected individuals, their families, and society at large.

He identified key psychosocial factors driving suicidal behaviour, to include economic hardship, financial instability, frustration, depression, mental health conditions, and insecurity.

According to him, many individuals who attempt suicide are not driven by a genuine desire to die but are overwhelmed by challenging life circumstances that push them toward such actions.

He said addressing those underlying issues and providing care, empathy, and social support would be more effective than criminalising individuals who attempted suicide.

Citing a World Health Organisation report, Mr Sheikh noted that about 800,000 people die by suicide annually, representing one death every 40 seconds, with most cases occurring in low- and middle-income countries.

He added that Nigeria ranked 67th globally in suicide prevalence, underscoring the urgency of strengthening national prevention strategies and improving mental health support systems.

The psychiatrist described suicide as a major global public health issue, noting that it remained one of the top 20 leading causes of death across all age groups worldwide.

He called for coordinated national action to address the root causes of suicide and strengthen preventive measures through policy reforms and increased public awareness.

Mr Sheikh noted that effective suicide prevention required a holistic, multi-sectoral approach involving mental health professionals, policymakers, educators, community leaders, and religious institutions.

He further said that suicide was often driven by a desire to escape overwhelming psychological pain, highlighting the need for empathy-based interventions and accessible mental health services.

He called for increased advocacy, improved access to treatment, and the decriminalisation of suicide to create an enabling environment for effective prevention and intervention efforts in Nigeria.

He also stated that sustainable solutions require community engagement, strengthened healthcare services, and robust policy support, alongside public education on coping strategies and mental health awareness.

(NAN)