Magnus Eze, Enugu
A Professor of Neuropsychiatry, Richard Uwakwe, has attributed about 90 per cent of suicide cases in Nigeria to mental disorders.
He said the spate of suicide across the country can be stemmed or prevented; if early signs of mental disorders were noticed and addressed.
Delivering the keynote at the second public lecture of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) College of Medicine, titled: “Alarming rate of suicide: The underlying factors and issues,” prof. Uwakwe however noted that suicide or self-murder is a complex issue that cannot be traced to a particular factor.
The professor of the Faculty of Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, listed the complex factors which predispose one to suicide thoughts and actions to include environmental, physiological, social, cultural, genetic and legal factors among others.
In proffering solutions, the don said suicide incidences could be drastically reduced or avoided if steps were taken in addressing inequality in the society; improving the legal policy of Government on suicide and improving on the public mental and health care facilities available to the people.
He also added improving on the general public education available to the public on suicide as well as evolving responsible media coverage on the issue, among others.
Prof. Uwakwe cited many cases of suicide, which emanated from different backgrounds, and pointed out that about 42 cases were recorded in the country, in the last six months.
In his welcome remarks, ESUT Vice Chancellor, Professor Luke Anike said the topic was not only critical to the problem of the society but was most important in addressing problems of university communities where the greater percentage of suicide acts were being recorded.
The vice chancellor explained that the public lecture was part of the institution’s contribution to solving the disturbing trend.