Quick answer: In September 2026, Ghana launched the Ghana Guidelines for Appropriate Media Reporting of Suicide, developed with WHO and the Association for Suicide Prevention Ghana (GASP), alongside the Ghana Suicide Reporting Scorecard. The core rules: do not describe methods or locations, avoid "suicide" and sensational language in headlines, do not publish photos of the person or suicide notes, protect families' privacy, and always include where to get help. Stories of hope and recovery can help prevent suicide.
Why media reporting matters
At the GASP webinar, President Prof. Emmanuel Nii-Boye Quarshie called the new guidelines "a massive population-level strategy for suicide prevention." He said some coverage in Ghana had been inappropriate, irresponsible and insensitive, both to families left behind and to people who survived an attempt, deepening stigma.
The evidence backs him up. A study of 288 Ghanaian online news reports on suicidal behaviour from 2000 to 2019 found that 92.7% mentioned the specific method, 82.6% put "suicide" in the headline and 55.6% included photos of the person. None of the reports included any of the helpful features WHO recommends, such as help information (Quarshie et al., International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2021).
Irresponsible reporting carries a risk of imitation, sometimes called the copycat effect. Responsible reporting, on the other hand, can encourage people to seek help. WHO Ghana's mental health officer Dr Leveana Gyimah put it simply: responsible reporting is a public health intervention (WHO Afro, 2026).
What's new in 2026
- Ghana Guidelines for Appropriate Media Reporting of Suicide. Published in September 2026 and launched on World Suicide Prevention Day, they guide media professionals to minimise harm, protect dignity and privacy, avoid sensationalism and support prevention (WHO Afro).
- Ghana Suicide Reporting Scorecard. A tool to assess the quality of suicide-related coverage, introduced at WHO and GASP regional media workshops in March 2026.
- Training. GASP, WHO and the University of Ghana's Department of Psychology have run capacity-building sessions for journalists and digital publishers (GhanaWeb).
Do and don't: a quick guide
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Include the helpline (0800 678 678) and where to get help | Describe the method, means or location |
| Use "died by suicide" | Use "committed suicide" (it implies a crime) or "successful/failed attempt" |
| Keep headlines calm and factual | Put "suicide" or dramatic words in the headline |
| Tell stories of hope, coping and recovery | Present suicide as a solution to problems |
| Respect families' privacy and grief | Publish photos of the person, the scene or suicide notes |
| Explain suicide as complex and preventable | Blame a single cause or a single person |
| Quote mental health experts | Speculate or share rumours |
| Take extra care with stories about young people and public figures | Repeat the story with every new detail |
Guidance for bloggers, TikTokers and content creators
The guidelines apply to traditional and new media alike. If you post about mental health or share your own story:
- Focus on recovery and what helped.
- Never show or describe methods, even indirectly.
- Add a help box with 0800 678 678 to every post and video caption.
- Use content warnings for difficult topics.
- Moderate comments and remove harmful content.
- Reply to people who reach out by pointing them to the helpline and professional care.
How these blog posts follow the guidelines
Every post in this GASP series leaves out methods and means, keeps the focus on recovery, avoids sensational headlines and includes Ghana help information. We encourage newsrooms and creators to do the same.
Frequently asked questions
Does Ghana have guidelines for reporting suicide? Yes. The Ghana Guidelines for Appropriate Media Reporting of Suicide were launched in September 2026 with support from WHO and GASP.
Why shouldn't journalists mention suicide methods? Describing methods can increase the risk of imitation among vulnerable readers. Leaving them out protects lives without weakening the story.
What should every story about suicide include? Information on where to get help, such as Ghana's free helpline 0800 678 678, and a message that suicide is preventable.
Do the guidelines apply to social media? Yes. They cover traditional and new media, including online publishers and content creators.
Sources: GASP webinar, 2026 · WHO Afro: Ghana Guidelines for Appropriate Media Reporting of Suicide (2026) · WHO Afro: WHO strengthens responsible suicide reporting (2026) · Quarshie et al., online media reporting of suicidal behaviour in Ghana (2021) · GhanaWeb: GASP media training · WHO feature (2026)
