Dear Editor,
Recently, sections of the local media inaccurately cited the statistics on suicide by the World Health Organization (WHO) when they reported that Guyana’s suicide rate stood at 20.6 per 100,000 in 2015. Editor, there is no truth to this. A visit to the WHO website (http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en/) revealed a suicide rate of 30.6 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015, which is significantly higher than what is reported by the local media.
Such inaccuracy spurs widespread speculation that some sections of the media may be hiding the suicide problem for political reasons. Further, WHO has reported a sharp increase in suicide for the year 2012 (44.2 per 100,000 inhabitants), and then a robust drop in 2015. I remain skeptical about such statistics. A significant decline in the suicide rate is not rationally possible.
Editor, how can there be such a huge reduction in the suicide rate when the primary triggers of this problem remain unaddressed, and any kind of therapeutic intervention remains severely limited?
One needs to be cautious about the suicide statistics, because of mountainous problems. Although WHO is a reputable and well-respected organisation, it needs to be clear that WHO acknowledges that data from numerous countries are of poor quality due to inherent problems of under-reporting and misclassification.
Furthermore, the accuracy of such statistics remains questionable due to poor data collection methods and procedures in this country. Clearly, multiple problems reduce the accuracy, validity, and reliability of the suicide statistics. And due to such problems, I remain skeptical about the reported decline in the suicide rate.
Importantly, these issues cannot be ignored when interpreting and drawing conclusions from such statistics.
I reasoned that a significant reduction in suicide can come about only by addressing the abnormally high levels of stress arising out of the catastrophic social, economic and political conditions. Stress mechanistically drives suicide directly or indirectly by disrupting brain functions, thereby unleashing mental illness (e.g. depression, schizophrenia, etc.) or substance abuse (e.g. alcoholism), or both. Stress basically hijacks the brain in eliciting suicidal behaviours.
Although such an intricate dynamic is working to propel suicide, it must also be recognised that genes can also augment this problem. Sadly, this dynamic remains unaddressed.
Specifically, a reduction in suicide requires reducing the massive unemployment rate, reducing the massive crime rate, curbing widespread discrimination, ending dysfunctional leaderships, stamping out corruption, bringing ethnic diversity and much-needed skills, as well as ending dysfunction at the Ministry of Social Protection, among a slew of other measures.
Unfortunately, as it stands, this Ministry hurts Guyanese rather than helps them. This has been my personal experience.
Furthermore, a robust reduction in the suicide rate can come about only by eliminating the primary triggers of suicide, together with making available meaningful therapeutic interventions (counselling, community support, reducing access to pesticides, etc.).
It needs to be noted that although therapeutic interventions are appreciated, valued and necessary, they cannot alone bring down the suicide rate, and are Band-Aid approaches with marginal and transient gains, if any at all, because victims will inevitably relapse into suicide.
Sincerely,
Annie Baliram
