Psychologist calls for thorough screening of police personnel as suicide rate goes up

Psychologist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Aaron Agbagba wants the Ghana Police Service to consider a psychological screening of persons it recruits.

Dr. Agbagba says that this will go a long way to reduce the rate at which officers of the Service commit suicide.

He made this suggestion after another police officer took his own life.

DSP Asiam Divine Yao is the third police personnel to commit suicide in this month of February.

Speaking to UniversNews, the Psychologist mentioned that the screening of security personnel will help in the early detection of mental disorders among the recruits.

“Research points to the fact the most of them might have some level of underlined mental disorders that were either ignored, either not diagnosed, or treated. For preventive programs, we need to look at screening our security services right from the start with mental disorders, we need to screen them from mental disorders and we can either do this by inculcating some form of psychological screening services, for the police at the onset of selection,” he said.

Dr. Agbagba said that the high suicide rate among the police was worrying and warrants that urgent steps are taken to resolve the matter as police personnel are in charge of protecting life and property.

“We are seeing a replication of a situation where policemen and women are repeatedly exposed to violence which is becoming a norm for them and is reducing their psychological wellbeing and has a serious implication on their mental wellbeing.”