Lesotho, once known as Basutoland, now holds a tragic distinction. The mountainous kingdom has the highest suicide rate globally, a grim reality affecting countless families. Among them is Matlohang Moloi, a 79-year-old mother who lost her firstborn son, Tlohang, to suicide at 38.
“Tlohang was a good son,” Moloi recalls. “He struggled with mental health and told me about it. Even on the day he died, he said, ‘Mother, one day you will hear I took my life.’ His death hurt deeply. I wish he could have explained what troubled him.”
The World Health Organization reports that 87.5 people per 100,000 in Lesotho take their own lives each year. This rate is more than double that of Guyana, the next highest country, and almost ten times the global average of nine per 100,000.
Efforts to combat this crisis are underway. NGOs like HelpLesotho are working to equip young people with mental health management skills. In Hlotse, social worker Lineo Raphoka leads group therapy sessions for young women. These sessions provide a safe space to share experiences and struggles.
“People think it’s against our African principles and spirituality,” says Patience, 24. “But we shy away from the fact that it’s happening. I’ve lost three friends to suicide and have attempted it myself.”
Everyone in the group has faced suicidal thoughts or knows someone who has died by suicide. Thirty-five-year-old Ntsoaki shared her harrowing experience of being raped in a hospital. “The doctor threatened me with a gun,” she says. “Every time I thought suicide was the only solution, I saw my brothers’ faces. They believe I’m strong, but I feel weak.”
The group offers her reassurance, emphasizing her strength in sharing her story. As the session ends, the women leave chatting and smiling, feeling better for having shared their stories.
The reasons behind Lesotho’s high suicide rate are complex. Raphoka identifies patterns such as rape, unemployment, and substance abuse. Gender-based violence is rampant, with 86% of women having experienced it, according to the World Population Review. The World Bank reports that two in five young people are neither employed nor in education.
Lack of support is a significant issue. People often don’t feel comfortable discussing their mental health, fearing judgment. In a bar in Hlotse, where men drink local beer and discuss politics, Khosi Mpiti talks about mental health. “We do talk about it,” he says. “We support each other as friends.”
Yet, when people seek help, they face a struggling public health system. The country’s only psychiatric unit hasn’t had a psychiatrist since 2017, and conditions violate human rights. However, the government, elected in October 2022, is drafting a national mental health policy.
“Mental health has become a pandemic,” says MP Mokhothu Makhalanyane. “We are intensifying advocacy, from primary schools to places where young people gather.” The policy will specify treatment and rehabilitation options.
Lesotho’s experience with HIV/AIDS offers lessons. In 2016, it introduced a “test-and-treat” strategy, allowing immediate treatment upon diagnosis. This approach has reduced infection rates. “Talking openly and not blaming people for their situation helped turn things around,” Makhalanyane notes.
Back in the mountains, Moloi tends to Tlohang’s grave. His resting place, a scenic spot with streams and greenery, offers a moment of peace. Moloi has a message for those struggling like her son: “Taking your own life is never a solution. Talk to people around you for help.”
Lesotho’s high suicide rate is a pressing issue, but efforts are underway to address it. Through open conversations, support systems, and policy changes, there is hope for a brighter future.
Source: Ghana Web
