Religious Leaders Receive Specialized Training in Suicide Prevention, Awareness and Response.

Suicide prevention efforts gained significant momentum when the Institute, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, conducted a two-day pilot training to religious leaders between 9th, and 10th, April 2025. The initiative sought to equip religious leaders with essential knowledge and practical skills to recognize suicide warning signs, offer crisis support, and facilitate referrals to professional mental health care.

The training was anchored in a curriculum co-developed through a participatory process involving religious leaders, mental health experts, and individuals with lived experience of suicide. This collaborative approach ensured that the content was both contextually relevant and spiritually sensitive.

Participants at the two-day workshop included religious leaders from diverse denominations—reflecting a balance of gender and age—alongside mental health professionals from research and policy backgrounds. The sessions were highly interactive, fostering meaningful dialogue and shared learning. One especially powerful moment was captured by Bishop John Warari of the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK), who remarked, “when science meets faith, miracles happen!”

Day one of the training focused on building a foundational understanding of suicide, exploring risk and protective factors, and recognizing warning signs. On the second day, the focus shifted to practical approaches, including suicide crisis support, postvention care for communities affected by suicide, and self-care strategies for religious leaders—acknowledging the emotional toll of their roles as spiritual caregivers.

Dr. Mercy Karanja, Head of Mental Health at the Ministry of Health, represented the government and commended the ongoing efforts of mental health professionals and the National Taskforce on Mental Health. She highlighted significant milestones, including the decriminalization of suicide—a landmark reform that aligns Kenya with countries such as Lesotho, Rwanda, and Ghana.

Dr. Karanja also urged religious leaders to become vocal advocates for mental health, noting that places of worship often outnumber healthcare facilities in many communities. “Religious leaders are often the first point of contact for individuals in distress. Your role is pivotal in preventing suicide and promoting mental well-being,” she emphasized. She further noted that such community-based initiatives align with the national goal of reducing suicide mortality by 10 percent by 2026, as outlined in Kenya’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy.

According to WHO, more than 700,000 people die globally by suicide each year, with suicide ranking as the third leading cause of death among individuals aged 15–29. In Kenya, the standardized suicide rate stands at 11.0 per 100,000 population—translating to approximately four deaths per day.

Prof. Lukoye Atwoli, Dean of the Aga Khan University Medical College and a leading psychiatrist, underscored the urgent need to treat suicide as a critical public health issue. “Be the difference between life and death. Be the flame that lights others,” he urged the religious leaders.

Dr. Linnet Ongeri, mental health researcher at KEMRI and Project lead, emphasized the importance of community driven approaches. “Training religious leaders in suicide prevention is a critical step toward expanding access to care and creating safe spaces for those in crisis,” she said. Throughout the sessions, she highlighted the value of empathetic listening, early identification of risk, timely referral, and fostering open, non-judgmental environments within places of worship.

The training concluded with practical role-play exercises, enabling participants to apply their new skills in realistic scenarios. Feedback from these sessions will inform the refinement of training materials and guide the future national rollout of the programme.