Mental health professionals in the Upper East Region are raising concerns over increasing cases of depression and suicide attempts linked to heartbreaks, failed relationships and marital challenges, particularly among young people.
The concerns were shared by Regional Mental Health Coordinator, Gifty Aboagyewaa Polycarp and Registered Mental Nurse, Prince Kofi Yeboah during Dreamz FM’s Breakfast Today program as part of activities marking Mental Health Awareness Month, also known as Purple Month.
According to the health professionals, emotional distress from broken relationships has become a major contributor to depression and attempted suicide cases reported at mental health facilities.
Prince Kofi Yeboah disclosed that both men and women have attempted suicide over relationship problems, including some prominent personalities in society.
“The way people react to issues differs,” Yeboah said. “Some people can handle disappointment, but others become severely depressed and may even attempt suicide.”
He explained that some individuals become emotionally overwhelmed after investing heavily in relationships that later collapse, adding that expectations and inability to cope with rejection often worsen mental health conditions.
Yeboah advised young people to be cautious about making huge emotional and financial investments in relationships at early stages.
“People should be very careful about the extent to which they go investing in relationships that are too young,” he said.
Regional Mental Health Coordinator Gifty Aboagyewaa Polycarp also stressed the need for honesty and openness in relationships to reduce emotional trauma.
“We need to be true to ourselves,” she said. “If you meet someone and it is just for fun, make it clear to the person instead of giving promises you cannot fulfill.”
Polycarp noted that unrealistic expectations in relationships often lead to severe disappointment, depression and emotional instability when relationships fail.
She further explained that some women struggle emotionally when partners decide to marry additional wives, despite cultural or religious acceptance of polygamy, while some men also become depressed after experiencing rejection or betrayal.
The mental health professionals encouraged people experiencing emotional distress, depression or suicidal thoughts to seek counseling and professional support early before conditions worsen.
They also urged families and communities to support persons facing emotional and mental health challenges rather than stigmatize them.
