This archive report was first published on 26 November 2019.
Kenya has seen a concerning trend in suicide cases, with men accounting for the majority of deaths. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, of the 421 suicide cases reported in 2017, 330 were men.
Speaking at the Kenya Mental Health conference in Nairobi, Prof Lukoye Atwoli, an associate professor at Moi University's School of Medicine and a leading psychiatrist, shed light on the reasons behind this trend. He explained that men are three to four times more likely to complete a suicide attempt compared to women, despite women being more likely to attempt suicide.
Prof Atwoli attributed the high number of male suicide victims to the violent methods used by men. 'Men use extremely violent ways to take their own lives. They might use a gun, hang themselves or jump from a storey building,' he said.
He debunked the narrative that men commit suicide due to 'bottled-up issues', stating that there is no scientific research to support this claim. Instead, he suggested that the stigma associated with suicide and the way pathologists record causes of death after an autopsy may contribute to the high numbers.
Prof Atwoli also highlighted the importance of addressing the stigma surrounding suicide and the need for more mental health professionals. He noted that for every complete suicide, there are 10 to 20 attempts, and that the country needs to work on creating awareness and providing treatment options for those struggling with mental health issues.
On World Suicide Day in 2018, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued an advisory urging countries to re-examine regulations governing the use of pesticides, as they are a common method of suicide attempts in Kenya.
