About this Research Topic
Africa’s contribution to the global suicide rate (8%) third after Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) in South-East Asia and Western Pacific is substantial. Mozambique, for instance, is reported as the seventh highest suicide rate in the world and arguably the highest in Africa. Rates are also high in most Eastern African countries such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. While age-standardized rates have fallen in all regions of the world, this has not been observed in LMICs in the African Region.
The role of religion in suicidality has been reported to be double-edged. On one hand, religion has a deleterious impact on attitudes toward suicide and can be a risk for suicidal behavior. On the other, religion can facilitate positive attitudes towards helping suicidal persons and be a buffer against suicidal behavior. This role of religion has been acknowledged in the WHO 2014 report on suicide and suicide prevention.
African is one of the most religiously diverse continents with huge growth patterns for religious groups. For instance in there are close to 600 million Christians ahead of Latin America, Europe and Asia. Religion is thus both a powerful social institution and a strong psychological resource for mental health. Yet the role of religion in mental health in Africa and in the complexity of suicidality, in particular, is not well explored in the continent.
We welcome interested authors to present papers (empirical and theoretical) to explore this all-important Research Topic.
Both quantitative and qualitative papers will be considered.
Papers to be submitted could be guided by any of the following:
• The role of religion in attitudes towards suicidality
• Potential of religion as a resource for suicide prevention
• The role of religion in the recovery trajectory of suicide attempt survivors
• Religious groups and suicide prevention programs in Africa
• Suicide bereavement, religion and recovery
• Religion, risks and suicidality
• Religion, spiritual struggles and suicidality
• Religious theories and suicidality
Keywords: Africa, Religion, Mental Health, Prevention programs, Suicide, stigma
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
