915 emergency suicide crisis hotline launched to combat mental health challenges

…Website, video series for children rolled out during Mental Health Awareness Month

A new 915 emergency suicide crisis hotline, developed by the Health Ministry, was launched Wednesday as part of efforts during its May, Mental Health Awareness Month activities, aimed at reducing the number of persons attempting suicide.
The toll-free 915-suicide prevention hotline will be 24/7 and will offer callers professional help. The launch of the hotline was announced alongside the launch of a website where persons can also seek support if struggling with mental health challenges.
The mentalhealth.gov.gy website is intended to serve as a central hub where persons can learn more about mental health and access crucial resources such as a 24/7 chat platform, which will also be manned by trained professionals.
Another project aimed at tackling mental health issues is an animated video series for children, developed by SBM Offshore. The videos aim to educate viewers on mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and cyberbullying.
These initiatives were rolled out with support from the Office of the President and SBM Offshore Guyana.
Delivering the keynote address at the launch, Health Minster Dr. Frank Anthony highlighted that while mental health is one of the major issues in the country, it is often pushed under the rug.

“Mental health is one of the challenges that we have in our country, and has been one of the areas that have often been neglected. We don’t pay too much attention to mental health until it starts affecting us,” he noted.
He also underscored the importance of the wider society in promoting mental wellness among citizens.
“This is not a Ministry of Health problem, this is a societal problem, and if we are going to deal with it, then all of us will have to work together to make sure that we can reduce the amount of cases of persons attempting suicide, or for that matter, we would like to see no one in this country actually committing suicide,” Dr Anthony expressed.
However, due to strategic polices and initiatives rolled out by the Ministry’s Mental Health unit, Dr. Anthony revealed that over the years, significant improvements have been recorded.
“…many years ago, Guyana has been known to have lots of cases of suicide and lots of challenges with mental health but because of dedicated efforts, we have started to turn that around. I also want to congratulate the Mental Health Department of the Ministry of Health headed by Dr. Morgan and you can see that over the last couple of years that indeed we are changing the outlook for mental health,” he expressed.
This month is a call to action to break the silence around mental health, reduce stigma, and encourage open conversations about mental well-being.