APN Wants Decriminilization Of Suicide Attempt

The Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, APN, is calling for the decriminalization of attempted suicide, citing it as a major barrier to mental health intervention.

APN President, Prof. Taiwo James Obindo, made the plea in Abuja during a House of Representatives Committee on Specialty Healthcare session.

Prof Obindo argued that criminalizing attempted suicide is an outdated approach inherited from colonial times, which failed to address underlying mental health issues.

He emphasized that 90% of suicide cases have a background of mental health conditions, with 80% attributed to depression.

“Nigeria lags behind neighboring countries that have abolished similar laws”.

Prof. Obindo urged the implementation of the Mental Health Act, passed in 2022, and the establishment of a Mental Health Services Department in the Federal Ministry of Health.

The Committee Chairman, Dr. Alex Egbona, sought stakeholders’ partnership in addressing mental health challenges and other related health cases.

He emphasized the committee’s role in providing legislative framework for improved healthcare delivery.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji