Factors Contributing to the Increase in Suicide Cases and Its Mitigation among Youth in Ruaraka Deanary, of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi, Kenya
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Date
2023
Authors
Sunguti, Henry Khakavo
Katola, Michael
Gecaga, Margaret
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Applied Philosophy
Abstract
Several approaches have been used to address the issue of suicide in contemporary
society. However, a religious approach in Kenya has received less input. This article,
which is a product of a research conducted in Ruaraka Deanery in the Catholic
Archdiocese of Nairobi on the rise of suicide among youth, is an attempt to contribute to a
balanced understanding of the causes of suicide as well as the mitigation of suicide
among youth from a religious perspective. Religions and cultural traditions strongly
oppose suicide. Moreover, several African nations including Kenya prohibit suicide
attempts. It is believed that religion serves as a protective coping mechanism that aids
people in finding comfort and purpose when dealing with traumatic life events or
situations like suicide. The youth deal with a range of challenges in life. One such grave
challenge is the rise in suicide-related incidents. The Roman Catholic Church (RCC)
asserts that God is the author of life. Suicide has long been seen as an unforgivable sin
because of this. As a result, those who committed suicide were not given the required
church funeral services. However in recent years, a new understanding of suicidal
behaviours from the standpoint of mental health has altered public opinion of the RCC.
The research adopted two interrelated theories of suicide: Thomas Joiner’sInterpersonal
Theory of Suicide (IPTS) as first theory and the second being David Klonsky and Alexis
May’s Three-Step Theory of Suicide . The research used a descriptive survey methodology.
The respondents' attitudes, perceptions, and methods of teaching the doctrine of the
sanctity of human life were successfully gathered using this approach for data collecting.
Focus groups, questionnaires, and interview guides were the three devices utilized to collect primary data. The youth, catechists, parish administrators, and clergy of Ruaraka
Deanery were the study's target demographics. For clergy, catechists, and leaders, the
respondents were chosen using a purposive sampling strategy, while the adolescents were
picked using a simple random sampling technique that allowed every youth a chance of
participating. 161 (70%) of the sample population of 230 participated in the research.
Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS-2021).
The study exposed flaws in the catechists' training and insufficient teaching strategies for
the sanctity of human life hence a need to establish new approaches to mitigate problem
of suicide.
Description
Article
Keywords
Suicide, Youth, Deanery, Roman Catholic Church, clergy
Citation
Sunguti, H. K., & Gecaga, M. (2023). FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCREASE IN SUICIDE CASES AND ITS MITIGATION AMONG YOUTH IN RUARAKA DEANARY, OF THE CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF NAIROBI, KENYA. AMAMIHE Journal of Applied Philosophy, 21(3).