13-year-old boy commits suicide

New Koforidua, a predominantly farming community in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality, was enveloped in shock and disbelief, after a 13-year-old boy took his own life.

The teenager hanged himself with a rope on a rice farm at the weekend, and it was not clear, what might have driven him to do what he did.Police Superintendent Ibrahim Sule, the Konongo District Commander, confirmed the incident and said the grandfather of the deceased was being held to assist police investigations.Until his death, the boy was staying with the detained man, Sampson Apam.

The body of the deceased has so far been deposited at a Morgue in Konongo, for autopsy.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of the Mental Health Authority, Dr Akwasi Osei, has revealed that

Ghana records about 1,500 suicide cases annually.

That figure, he said, constituted about seven per cent loss of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but little attention was paid to suicide cases in the country.

According to him, causes of suicide were previous suicide attempts, substance abuse, mental disorders, incarceration, exposure to suicidal behaviour, taking antidepressant medications and a history of being abused or witnessing continued abuse.