No medicine can cure psychological problems - Psychologist asserts

Suicide is a global phenomenon and one of the major causes of death.

According to a World Health Organization (W.H.O) data, "close to 800,000 people die due to suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds . . . There are indications that for each adult who died by suicide there may have been more than 20 others attempting suicide''.

It is equally established that a lot of people who become depressed are given anti-depression pills to curb their suicide tendencies.

The anti-depressants are medically prescribed for people so as to put them in a state of calmness, hoping they don't process any suicidal thoughts.

Thursday, September 10 marks World Suicide Prevention Day and speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', Head of Psychology at the University of Ghana, Professor Joseph Osafo has expressed dissenting views over the prescription of anti-depressants to mental health patients.

According to him, there is no pill that can cure people with psychological problems and anti-depressants are not effective medication either.

"There is no medicine that can cure a person who feels suicidal. In fact, those who are depressed can kill themselves. So, some years back, we were giving a lot of anti-depressants. In fact, in Norway, in Sweden for example, they had that that when someone becomes depressed, he/she should be given anti-depressant. Going back, it has been proven that the rampant prescription of anti-depressants can even elevate the risk."

He stressed that an efficient way to help a person overcome the thoughts of suicide or to ensure a sound mental health is to use psychological methods.

" . . when a person becomes so depressed, you give a bit of medical intervention which is anti-depressant, then you add psychotherapy," he said.