Suicide: A Major Headache For Guyana

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Sept. 14, 2014, CNS – According to the latest report from the World Health Organization (WHO) based on the year 2012, the global suicide rate is 11.4 per 100,000 people.

The most affected country is Guyana, with a rate of 44.2 per 100,000 and the least affected Saudi Arabia, with a rate of 0.4 per 100,000

The WHO report said the rate in Guayana compares with a world average of 11.4, and a figure of 6.1 per 100,000 for low- and middle-income countries in the Americas (neighbouring Suriname, with a similar history and ethnic mix, does very badly, too).

The Guyana Foundation, a recently created non-governmental organisation, this month released findings from a study based on in-depth interviews by Serena Coultress, a student at the Global Health programme at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. She talks of hopelessness and frustration among men who are unable to fulfill their expected role as provider, and who turn to domestic violence, alcohol abuse and, sometimes, suicide. The numbers show that Indo-Guyanese people are more at risk from suicide than Afro-Guyanese but that, she says, may simply be because most of the rural population is of Indian origin.

Guyana’s suicide rate has fallen by 8.5 per cent since 2000, but much more needs to be done.

Guyana’s Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran said that that the Ministry of Health has been involved in several plans aimed at curbing suicides, including the training of persons.

Training workshops have been held to help identify people at risk, but there has been little follow-up activity. There is no functioning telephone helpline for people in distress, although the police have announced plans to set one up using civilian counsellors. Attempted suicide is a criminal offence in Guyana.

In Haiti in 2012, the rate was 2.8 per 100,000 down compared 2000 (3.1 per 100,000). In the Dominican Republic the rate was higher in 2012 than in Haiti with 4.1 per 100,000 a decrease compard to 2000 (5.9 per 100,000)

Data for the year 2012 in Haiti, indicate that 235 people have committed suicide, 107 women and 128 men. 0.9 per 100,000 for at children aged 5-14 years; 2.6 in 15-29; 3.7 for 30-49 years; 5.4 in 50-69 and 10.1 among those aged 70 and older.

In the United States the rate is increased from 9.8 per 100,000 in 2000 to 12.1 in 2012.

Overall, the rate is slightly higher in rich countries 12.7 per 100,000 that in countries with low and middle income 11.2 per 100,000. Generally, are the men who usually take their own lives at a rate of 15 per 100,000, against 8 per 100,000 women.

CNS/ml/2014