Exploring suicide awareness and prevention approaches in an urban slum in Nigeria: a qualitative study

Abstract

Suicide is a significant social and public health issue, and preventing it remains a priority. An increasing number of people live in informal settlements in the Global South, often in slum-like conditions, leaving them vulnerable to suicide. Despite this, research on suicide is limited, particularly in Nigerian slums such as Makoko, an informal settlement along the coast of mainland Lagos, Nigeria. This study aimed to explore how community members understand suicide and the support available to address psychological distress in Makoko, to inform the development of culturally relevant, community-driven suicide prevention strategies. The study employed a qualitative phenomenological design. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 participants, including 10 residents and 10 key informants (community leaders, healthcare workers, traditional healers, and religious figures), selected through purposive and snowball sampling. The findings revealed five themes: first, community awareness and understanding of suicide; second, awareness of risk and vulnerability factors; third, community-based suicide prevention practices; fourth, gaps in suicide awareness; and fifth, suggestions for future prevention strategies. Based on these findings, a community-centric suicide prevention framework (CCSPF) was developed for Makoko and similar settings in the Global South. Additionally, recommendations were provided to address the issues identified during the study.