GASP Strengthens Capacity of Media Practitioners on Suicide Prevention

Accra: The Ghana Association for Suicide Prevention (GASP) has organised a one-day capacity-building programme aimed at strengthening responsible and ethical reporting on suicide among media practitioners. The event was conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the University of Ghana's Department of Psychology with the goal of raising awareness on the WHO's guidelines for reporting suicide and educating participants on localised guidelines. According to Ghana News Agency, the initiative was themed 'Role of Media in Suicide Prevention in Ghana: Application of the Ghana Guidelines for Appropriate Media Reporting of Suicide (GGAMRS) and the Ghana Suicide Reporting Scorecard (GSRS) for Appropriate Media Reporting of Self-Harm and Suicide.' Professor Emmanuel Nii-Boye Quarshie, President of GASP, highlighted that there were approximately 727,000 suicide cases globally in 2021, with 73 percent occurring in low- and middle-income countries, including Ghana, where the suicide rate is e stimated at 8.1 per 100,000 people. Professor Quarshie stressed the complexity of causative factors in suicide prevention, noting that the media's role in either enhancing or weakening prevention efforts should not be underestimated. He pointed out that individuals experiencing suicidal distress often have limited perceived options for coping, necessitating responsible and preventative media portrayal of suicide-related stories to broaden perspectives rather than reinforce hopelessness. He further explained that WHO's 'The Live Life' approach, consisting of leadership, interventions, visions, and evaluation, would assist governments and communities in suicide prevention. GASP plans to review participants' reportage on suicide for adherence to ethical guidelines, language accuracy, and sensitivity towards affected individuals and communities to identify and address any practice gaps. Professor Joseph Osarfo, a Patron of GASP, facilitated a session on reporting suicide on digital media platforms, urging jour nalists to exercise caution with online sources. He emphasized the importance of verifying the credibility and reliability of sources to prevent harm and advocated for hyperlinks in suicide-related stories to lead to evidence-based resources. He underscored the importance of content moderation, stating that media website managers have an ethical duty to ensure comment sections do not normalize or encourage suicidal behavior but instead address reader concerns. Dr. Johnny Andoh-Arthur, Secretary of GASP, warned that media reports on suicide could significantly influence public behavior, particularly among vulnerable audiences, and that sensational reporting might lead to imitation. Dr. Andoh-Arthur advised journalists to handle suicide-related stories with ethical sensitivity, recommending against front-page placement and inclusion of explicit details or visual images. He advocated for reporting that focuses on public education and coping support while adhering to ethical guidelines to reduce the risk of cop ycat behavior and promote responsible journalism. The programme brought together media practitioners from the Greater Accra, Central Volta, and Eastern Regions, providing them with materials to effectively report on suicide prevention.