This archive report was first published on 26 November 2019.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, in 2017, 330 out of 421 reported suicide cases were men. This stark reality has been highlighted by Lukoye Atwoli, an associate professor at Moi University's School of Medicine and a leading psychiatrist.
Speaking at the Kenya Mental Health conference in Nairobi, Prof Atwoli debunked the narrative that the numbers show more men are attempting suicide. He attributed the high numbers to the violent methods men use, such as guns, hanging, or jumping from a storey building.
Atwoli emphasized that women, on the other hand, use methods that leave them with a chance to survive, such as overdosing. He also noted that the most common suicide methods in their setting are pesticides and hanging.
During this year's World Suicide Day on September 10, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued an advisory that countries should re-look regulations that govern the use of pesticides, as they are the most sought-after methods of suicide attempts.
Atwoli also highlighted the stigma associated with suicide and how pathologists record causes of death after an autopsy. He noted that for every complete suicide, there are 10 to 20 attempts.
Furthermore, Atwoli stated that suicide is the leading cause of death among teens between the ages of 15 and 19, and perhaps the second-most outstanding cause of death among those between ages 15 and 29, only second to homicide.
