The “Pesticides and Passion: A Qualitative Psychological Autopsy Study of Suicide in Guyana” paper has made some astounding findings on a yet still taboo topic in Guyana.
According to the report pesticide poisoning incidents are the main method used by persons who die by suicide in Guyana.
Guyana has been labelled “suicide capital of the world” as this unfortunate phenomenon continues to plague our country.
This dubious distinction was not due to the infamous Jonestown mass suicide in what consumed the lives of over 909 persons, but to numbers compiled by the World Health Organisation. Suicide however is a mental health problem, often precipitated by one catalysing factor at a moment’s impulse. This complied with the blinding need for oblivion from harsh realities of overwhelming problems is the driver behind many persons seeking to quit life as the ultimate solution to difficult situations.
A person suffering from deep depression needs assurances that solutions can be found. problems are not insurmountable, but coping with extant and future challenges necessitates one staying alive, not take what seems the easy way out, leaving much devastation in the wake of one’s action, especially the grief and guilt that surviving family members have to cope with.
This global phenomenon is a scourge affecting every nation of the world and not limited to Guyana only.
In early 2015, Guyana became one of only 28 countries to develop a suicide prevention plan in response to the report. The plan identifies factors that could contribute to the country’s high rate of suicide.
Records reveal that approximately 70 percent of the country’s suicides occur in rural regions, where many people assuage their feelings of hopelessness with overindulgence of alcohol to cope with poverty and economic despair. Instead, the alcohol exacerbates depression in minds deprived of reasoning powers by alcohol-induced neurosis, precipitating suicidal thoughts.
Guyana Government Psychologist and Addiction Specialist Caitlin Vieira avers that there is a lack of clinics and social support networks in these villages, but that there are plenty of rum shops. She says “Sporting”, Guyanese slang for drinking, is a popular pastime.
Additionally, a study by the Pan American Health Organization reported that nearly 80 percent of Guyanese adolescents had their first drink before the age of 14, and some children try alcohol for the first time in elementary school.
Dysfunction in family constructs and bullying in schools and workplaces also contribute to Guyana’s high suicide rates.
Illicit drug usage has also become a major contributory factor to violent, anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse, oftentimes leading to murder and suicide.
This most recent study -The “Pesticides and Passion: A Qualitative Psychological Autopsy Study of Suicide in Guyana” – recommends that there is a limit to the importation of extremely lethal pesticides and encourage the use of less toxic alternatives. According to the study this has been
successful as a prevention technique. Using Sri Lanka as a case study, it stated that the prevention of importation of extremely deadly pesticides was able to reduce the number of pesticide suicides by 50% within a three-year period.
To quote the study on Guyana: “…it is recommended that Guyana institute a ban on the importation of highly lethal pesticides. The Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board of Guyana is continually updating the list of prohibited pesticides and toxic chemicals however, more support is needed regarding enforcement and substitute promotion.”
Additionally, the study recommends that there is a need for a “multidisciplinary approach to suicide prevention, involving not only the health sector but also other social sectors including gender, community development, and cultural institutions.”
We support that study’s recommendation which stated promoting positive mental health and creating awareness to reduce stigma may also support suicide prevention.
