Responsible reporting can save lives, says SURPIN’s Titi Tade on suicide, stigma

Director and Head of the Medical Social Services Department astatine Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and Training Coordinator for the Suicide Research and Prevention Initiative (SURPIN), Ms. Titi Tade, has called connected the media to study responsibly connected termination and intelligence health, informing that soundlessness and stigma proceed to outgo lives crossed Nigeria.

Speaking astatine Vanguard’s 3rd Mental Health Summit, held connected Friday astatine the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, Tade said, “The civilization tells america that to beryllium a antheral successful Nigeria, you don’t speech oregon stock your emotions. We really inquire men to repress their earthy emotions and feelings. More men dice from intelligence illness.”

She revealed that betwixt the 2nd 4th of 2023 and the 2nd 4th of 2025, astir of the callers seeking assistance done SURPIN were men. “There is simply a need, and radical bash not person access. They were saying they don’t cognize who to crook to — truthful who bash you crook to?” she asked.

Linking this to the summit’s theme, “Substance Use and Silence: The Dual Crisis,” Tade explained that affectional suppression often leads to self-medication. “When affectional symptom is suppressed, radical often self-medicate. A 2023 nationalist survey recovered that implicit 14% of Nigerians person utilized psychoactive substances successful the past year,” she said.

She stressed that the larger contented is the civilization of soundlessness surrounding distress. “The bigger occupation is the soundlessness implicit pain. We soundlessness distress by moralising it. Religion and civilization tin beryllium sources of strength, but soundlessness becomes a disguise that hides termination risk. Silence kills and fuels stigma,” she noted.

Tade besides highlighted the relation of the media successful shaping nationalist knowing of suicide. “Media narratives sometimes deepen that soundlessness alternatively of breaking it. Suicide does not look similar what the media portrays — it looks similar each 1 of us. Suicide seldom comes retired of the blue; it is hidden successful withdrawal and self-deprecating jokes,” she said.

She advised that erstwhile idiosyncratic expresses distress, listening and connecting them to nonrecreational assistance could marque a life-saving difference. “When idiosyncratic says, ‘I’m not okay,’ let’s intermission and listen. Ask straight if they person thought of harming themselves. If they accidental they have, region everything harmful astir them and link them to nonrecreational assistance oregon a helpline,” Tade urged.

Tade further commended the media for their relation successful shaping awareness, praising Vanguard for hosting the intelligence wellness summit. “Vanguard is doing specified a laudable job. The media has reach, diversity, and accessibility — but it needs to study responsibly. No notation of determination oregon different details, due to the fact that the much you publicise these, the much radical who are successful that framework of caput whitethorn beryllium misled into attempting suicide,” she warned.

She encouraged journalists to consult WHO’s guidelines connected liable reporting, noting that accurate, empathetic stories tin forestall copycat behaviour and beforehand understanding.

“We are SURPIN — that is what we do. We person a hotline and are progressive successful each 36 states,” she added. “Responsible reporting tin prevention lives. It’s clip to interruption the silence.”

The station Responsible reporting tin prevention lives, says SURPIN’s Titi Tade connected suicide, stigma appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.