In a classroom somewhere in Ghana, a teenager sits quietly at the back of the room. His grades are slipping. He no longer joins his friends during breaks and spends more time alone at home. To some, these changes may seem like a phase. To a trained teacher or health worker, they could be signs that a young person is struggling and needs support.
Across the Upper East, Bono East, Ahafo, Oti and Western North Regions, efforts are underway to ensure that more adults are equipped to recognize these signs and respond early.
Nearly 200 teachers, health professionals and community representatives recently participated in a Training of Facilitators on Adolescent Socio-Emotional Learning and Suicide Prevention, supported by the Ghana Health Service and the World Health Organization, with funding from Grand Challenges Canada.
The training focused on a simple but important goal: helping those who interact with adolescents every day build the skills to identify emotional distress, provide support and strengthen young people’s resilience before challenges escalate.
For Mr David Addo Prempeh, a school health coordinator from Bono East, the experience provided practical tools that can be applied in schools and communities.
“The training has equipped us with practical skills to support adolescents who may be struggling emotionally before their challenges escalate into self-harm or suicide”, he said.
Through interactive exercises, group discussions and practical demonstrations, participants explored emotional regulation, effective communication, conflict resolution and coping with stress. They also learned how to identify signs of self-harm and suicide risk and how to respond appropriately.
Mr Mohammed Alhassan, the Upper East Region Zongo Youth Representative, said the socio-emotional learning sessions were particularly relevant to the challenges young people face today.
“The socio-emotional learning sessions were particularly useful because they provide practical tools that can be used immediately in schools and communities”, he said.
The training brought people together from different sectors, including schools, health facilities, community organizations, youth-serving agencies and local leadership structures. This diversity reinforced an important message: protecting adolescent mental health cannot be the responsibility of one sector alone.
In total, 196 participants were trained, creating a growing network of people who can support adolescents in their schools, homes and communities. Participants also developed regional action plans and called for continued mentorship, refresher training and stronger community involvement.
For young people, early support can make a difference. It can mean a teacher noticing a change in behaviour, a health worker knowing how to respond, a parent recognizing when something is wrong, or a community creating a safe space for a young person to speak.
As Ghana strengthens its approach to adolescent mental health and suicide prevention, the impact of this work will extend beyond the training room. It will be seen when young people receive help before reaching a crisis point and when the adults around them have the confidence and skills to listen, respond and support them.
Preventing suicide starts long before a crisis. It starts by building skills, strengthening relationships and creating environments where every young person knows that they are seen, heard and supported.
