Oyeniran Apata
Prof. Amos Alao, a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun state, has suggested that creation of counselling Units by the government in the nation’s tertiary institutions will serve as a check to nip in the bud the tendency for young people and persistent cases of suicide in the country.
According to him, the most prevalent causes of suicide among the victims are relationship problems, loss of a close person, mental disorder and family problems.
Delivering the 9th Inaugural Lecture at the institution with the theme: “Can Two Work Together except They Agree? A Psychological Perspective of a Journey of a Helping Relationship and Change”, over the weekend, Alao noted that there was the need to strengthen the family unit because tendencies to take to suicide could happen at any age, among students as well as in the society.
“There was the need for institutions of higher learning to maintain a visible career and centre to help students begin to develop the rudiments of career life and development”, he said.
The don emphasised the need for a proper structure of crisis interventions in every institutions’ in the country because students do experience emotional pains.
Alao also suggested that the provision of opportunities to acquire skills in problem-solving, interpersonal relationships, conflict resolution and building self-esteem were vital in curbing the cases of suicide in the country.
He stressed the need to continue to provide adequate demographic variables on suicide victims so that its trends could be monitored and understood.
Alao, however, implored people to change their attitude towards suicide because a willful end to life through suicide does not solve any problem.
Source: Daily Independent
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