By Rehana Ahamad

IT is no secret that Guyana has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, and, even more disturbing, is the fact that the recorded global figures also account for children, more accurately, persons below the age of 18.

As at October last, some 31 children had attempted to end their lives by various means. These figures, provided by the Childcare Protection Agency (CPA), specify that 25 females and six males attempted suicide for the period January 2020 to October 2020. This represents a significant decrease in the number of cases reaching the agency when compared to 2019. Last year, a staggering 79 children comprising 55 girls and 24 boys, attempted to take their lives.

Global studies show that young children and teenagers attempt suicide mainly due to depression caused by the stress and anxiety attached to academic pressure, alcohol consumption, the loss of a valued relationship, frequent change of residency, poor family patterns and abuse. Director of the CPA, Ann Greene, explained, during a recent staff conference, that the agency is working aggressively towards improving and expanding its psychosocial services to children and families throughout Guyana, especially within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We definitely will be concentrating on providing assistance to the family by increase services and social network supports at the community level,” Green said. She indicated that the agency’s long-term goal is the development of the family as a safety net for children.

“The family is regarded as an agent of the Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDG) and it is said that through the essential roles of the family that the SDG is achievable. Consequently, the plan is to use a family-centred and strength-based approach, which involves building positive partnerships with the family and identifying its strength and build on it,” Green elaborated.

She informed that the reduction of the agency’s caseloads is critical to it being able to deliver on its mandate to ensure that Guyana’s children are raised in loving, healthy environments that are conducive to their overall wellbeing. As a result, the appointment of key personnel is expected to be pursued in the coming year. “Accordingly, we will be using new approaches to combat same in the new budget year,” Green said.
For the aforementioned period, a total of 775 boys and 991 girls were afforded counselling through various CPA interventions. There were also 3,547 cases where parental counselling and capacity building were also provided. Nonetheless, even though CPA data for the past two years show more girls attempting suicide as compared to boys, the overall figures for Guyana indicate the opposite.

In fact, the United Nations Human Development Report for 2020 specifies that female suicides in Guyana occur at a rate of 14.2 per 100,000 persons, while suicides among males recorded a rate of 46.6 per 100,000 persons.

According to the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, Guyana has made several notable steps forward with regard to the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A latest update on Guyana’s progress specifies that the country’s suicide rate was reduced by some 35 per cent.

In September 2019, Director of the Mental Health Unit, Dr. Util Richmond-Thomas, confirmed the reduction, specifying that Region Two had the highest rate of suicides in the country, followed by Region Six. Examination of the Ministry of Health’s data showed that persons of East Indian origin were more prone to suicides, accounting for 68 per cent of suicides recorded in Guyana. This was followed by the African-Guyanese community with a 17 per cent rate, as of 2018.