Suicide is not about unhappy people – TCV

– says more research unnecessary
President David Granger has publicly pronounced, on numerous occasions, that ‘unhappy people commit suicide’ however non-governmental organisation The Caribbean Voice (TCV) believes the Head of State’s view on the matter is too simplistic, especially given his reputation as a scholar and researcher, and the fact that the country is nearing epidemic proportion.
In a statement issued Sunday, the organisation said the President’s pronouncements give the impression that once someone is unhappy, they eventually commit suicide.
But the NGO explained that had this really been the case, then the majority of the world’s population would have been committing suicide.
“Yes, indeed people may be unhappy leading up to the act of finality but it is not the unhappiness in itself that leads to suicide; rather it is the factor or combination of factors that create the unhappiness and the agonising pain – physical, psychological, emotional – that drives suicide,” the statement read.
Furthermore, TCV strongly believes that additional research on the causation of suicide in Guyana is really, at this point, unnecessary.
President Granger, as well as other members of his government, have been emphasising the need for more research on suicide but the NGO believes that the factors that drive suicide have already been documented by various researchers.
“Essentially these are abusive and dysfunctional relationships; teenage affairs and pregnancy; rape and incest; an inability to deal with problems and challenges (lack of coping skills) and/or unbearable pain – physical or emotional – which generally give rise to awful agony and depression, and feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, powerlessness and loneliness,” the NGO stated.
In Guyana’s context, it highlighted that suicide has become normative, to a certain extent, and therefore is not only seen as a solution to life’s challenges but also as just another choice instead of a last, desperate option.
Additionally, TCV observed that suicidal mindset is prone to copycatting – a practice referred to as the Werther Effect and catalysed by alcoholism; lack of empathetic communication and low levels of self-acceptance and/or feelings of inadequacy. That aside, TCV echoed the President’s call for a collaborative approach involving all stakeholders nationally in addressing this prevailing issue.
Recognising that most of the groundwork on suicide prevention are being executed in Georgetown, the NGO underscored the need to reach into other communities and rural areas throughout Guyana, in order to include them in any suicide prevention campaign.
“The approach must be multilayered and encompassing, so as to address all the factors. At the crux of this campaign should be a priority on an integrated healthcare system as advocated by the World Health Organisation (WHO), with basic mental health training provided to all healthcare workers and other stakeholders; especially given that for many, depression precedes the act of suicide and also because individuals dealing with mental and physical health issues often end up committing suicide,” the group stated.
Some additional measures include placement of counsellors in schools, which was supposed to have started since February; introduction of the Health and Family Programme in schools, especially focusing on social and empowerment issues including self-esteem, self-forgiveness and self-acceptance; bringing back the Gatekeepers Programme, hand in hand with a ‘Train The Trainers’ Programme so that every community can have eyes and ears that will act proactively to tackle suicide prevention and related issues; establishment of a support network to ease the effects of poverty, unemployment and under-employment, and that must include skills training for the young in a concerted and holistic manner rather than randomly and selectively; legal enforcement of laws (to include raising the age of consent to 18 and establishing a registry of sex offenders) to address abuse, especially partner and sexual abuse and mechanisms in place to help victims of abuse deal with the trauma and other effects of their abuse; putting in place measures to address pesticide suicide – the Shri Lanka Model or something similar; an ongoing campaign to develop self-esteem and coping skills; an ongoing education campaign to counter myths and misinformation and arm citizens with facts, information and suicide prevention strategies; measures in place, supported by legal enforcement, to curb alcoholism and drug use.
TCV asserted that the bottom line is that there is neither the need to reinvent the wheel or expend huge sums of money.
“A genuine collaborative approach, with inclusive planning, coordination, mapping and oversight, where volunteerism is a key facet, and entities at all levels can be incorporated, will make it not that difficult to implement these measures and maintain a national focus with respect to suicide prevention. The Caribbean Voice stands ready to lend its humble efforts to such an endeavour.”