Ugandan men’s perceeption of what causes and what prevents suicide

Suicidal behavior is illegal in Uganda. There are no reliable public suicide statistics, but studies indicate that the rates of both suicide and nonfatal suicidal behavior are higher for men than for women. This study examined Ugandan menÕs perceptions of what causes and what prevents suicide as well as their attitudes towards suicide and suicide prevention, including religiosity. Knowledge about this is important as the country is now planning suicide prevention strategies. A majority (26 percent) of men believed that suicide was a response to illness/disease and problems with relationships (24 percent), followed by perceived pressure (10 percent), lack of control (9 percent) and economic hardship (8 percent). These men also endorsed negative attitudes towards suicide, including when suicide is precipitated by an incurable disease. Most men believed that suicide could be prevented via health care services (45 percent) and education (22 percent), while only a few explicitly mentioned an improvement of the socioeconomic conditions. These findings are interpreted in light of the ideological demands of being a man and the socioeconomic reality making this difficult or impossible.