Abstract:
The cultural context in which suicide occurs has been emphasized as critical in understanding the
act and informing prevention. Yet the penchant of psychiatrizing suicidality in mainstream
suicidology relegates cultural issues to the background. Through the lenses of critical cultural
suicidology, the authors have re-emphasized the importance of culture by reviewing the two major
meanings of suicide as observed in our 8-year study in Ghana: moral transgression and life crisis.
They have also showed the usefulness of the life crisis perspective of suicidality in reducing stigma
and sustaining advocacy in decriminalizing attempted suicide in the country.