Therapy Helps, but the Root Cause of South Africa's Mental Health Crisis is Structural

Abstract

In August 2022, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that Africa has one of the highest suicide rates globally. While the worldwide average stands at 9 per 100,000 people, Africa records 11 per 100,000. Among African men, the rate rises to 18 per 100,000, far above the global male average of 12.2 (WHO, 2022). Similarly, the 2023 World Happiness Report (WHR) revealed that of the world’s 24 least happy countries, 17 are African (WHR 2023). The above happiness statistics can be understood from the socioeconomic statuses of many African countries, which are considered the poorest continent. Bringing this closer to home, South Africa ranks among the top ten countries with the highest suicide rates. In 2019 alone, 13,774 suicide deaths were recorded, 10,861 of them men (cf. Ugar & Klaas, 2025). By 2021, there had been a rise to 18 per 100,000, well above the global male average of 12.2 per 100,000, underscoring the urgency of addressing the root causes of these trends (Ugar & Klaas, 2025). This increase could be explained using the rationale that I provide below.