Over 100 people called suicide helpline within 3 days - Akwasi Osei

Over 100 record number of persons called the hotline of the Mental Health Authority for suicide-related help within three days, the Authority has said.

The helpline 020-681-4666 is paid for, which Dr Akwasi Osei the chief executive officer of the Authority finds even curious. Within a spate of 14 days, 10 persons have committed suicide across the country including a 14-year-old child.

Many have attributed varied reasons for the upsurge in suicide cases, with the absence of counseling services being prominent.

Dr. Osei told TV3 in an interview that his outfit is in discussions with telecommunications companies for toll-free lines.

He anticipates the number of people who call his office for support to go up when those lines come on stream. With over 100 calls in three days, “certainly we need to be mindful and worried”, he underscored.

Minutes before his interview with TV3, someone called for help, Dr. Akwasi Osei revealed.

Dr Osei had in an earlier interview said as high as 95 per cent of completed suicide or attempted cases have a history of mental illness.

About 80 per cent out of percentage was due to depression, 15 percent was due to other mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, acute stress reaction, alcohol and drug abuse, he explained.