Suicide among men in Ghana: The burden of masculinity

Abstract

In Ghana, some studies have reported a high rate for both fatal and non-fatal suicidal behaviors among men. The current study aimed at understanding the psychosocial circumstances involved in male suicides. We interviewed between two to seven close relations of each of 12 men who died by suicide. Interpretative phenomenological analysis of data indicates that experiences of shame related to loss of economic control, breach of patriarchal norms, and threats to sexual competence contributed to the suicides. Addressing socioeconomic issues, creating opportunities for men to disclose their emotions, and identifying sources of these emotions may help prevent suicide among men.

“If you do not birget [manage] then you don’t belong here”: a qualitative focus group study on the cultural meanings of suicide among Indigenous Sámi in arctic Norway

“…Qualitative methodology is well suited to consider cultural and contextual issues in relation to suicide [14,15,19]. Focus group discussions (FGDs) have previously been used to investigate cultural understandings of suicide in specific populations [20,21], also among Indigenous peoples in the Arctic [22][23][24].…”

African Personhood, Humanism, and Critical Sankofaism: The Case of Male Suicide in Ghana

“…The shame of failing to meet certain masculine norms has been found to prompt fatal and non-fatal suicidal acts, as clearly illustrated in the man facing financial difficulties [5]. Local sayings promote certain male character traits, such as courage and bravery in adversity: 'a man doesn't cry' (‫כ‬barima nsu); 'a man does not fear death' (‫כ‬barima nsuro owuo); 'it's a real man who takes bitter medicine' (‫כ‬barima na ‫כ‬nom aduro a ɛyɛ nnwono) [5, p. 658].…”

“…Social expectations further uphold masculine ideals of sexual potency, procreation, and providing economically and materially for one's family; achievement of these ideals constitute successful male identity in society. By contrast, those in role reversals-where women function as economic providers-are described as 'useless man' (‫כ‬barima hunu) and subject to social stigma [5]. Virility and sexual prowess are likewise important.…”

“…The ultimate test of masculinity is to have one's own biological children; impotency and childlessness are met with ridicule accordingly. Failure to achieve valued masculine identities and socially expected roles is a cause for low self-esteem, a sense of personal failure, defeat, and entrapment [5]. Shame around loss of social status generates feelings of defectiveness and helplessness, leading to fatal or non-fatal suicidal behaviour.…”

“…Problematic masculine ideals and communitarian social arrangements coalesce to some degree, as male norms are closely connected to one's ability to fulfill one's responsibility to meet the needs of group members. Such responsibility is difficult to bear unless one possesses economic wealth and influence [5,9], meaning values associated with male economic power-and shame when one falls short-intermingle with the communitarian sense of self and one's sense of belonging in deep ways. Yet through the lens of critical sankofa it becomes clear that sociocultural values of what 'being a man' amounts to-reinforced tacitly in local idioms around the preferability of death to shame-corrupt rather than capture the humanism at the core of African communitarian values.…”