At the other end of the line

Sep 05, 2014 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

Suicide is now a global problem. According to the World Health Organization close to 800,000 persons worldwide commit suicide each year.
It therefore should come as no surprise that Guyana has a problem with suicide. Apart from the fact that Guyana seems to hardly be able to immunize itself from the problems of the rest of the world, Guyana has always had a suicide problem, especially in rural areas, where the availability of pesticides makes it easier for those in depression to take their own lives.
In fact since 2009, the World Health Organization has been pointing to Guyana as the leading country for suicide in the Americas. As at 2012, Guyana still holds that reputation. But from all accounts other countries in the Caribbean, such as Suriname, also have a similar problem.
A great many persons continue to take their lives because of domestic and mental health problems. In addition, the statistics of suicides in Guyana is being inflated by persons who murder other persons and then take their own lives rather than face public ostracism and the force of the law.
But even if you take out these numbers, there are still large numbers of Guyanese who commit suicide every year. While this is not a problem confined to any one ethnic grouping, it is a particularly acute problem for the East Indian community. There is a high incidence of suicide within the East Indian community in Guyana. One has to therefore question how involved and effective have East Indian organizations been in addressing this pandemic.
The death last month of American actor Robin Williams cast the spotlight on this problem. Many American television channels carried features on Williams and the circumstances of his death. They also extended these features to discuss the issue of depression and what can be done about it.
In the United States, there are organizations dedicated to helping people with depression and to preventing them from taking that next fatal step. One such organization is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Amongst the services it offers is a hotline that allows persons who may be suffering from depression and/or contemplating taking their own lives, to call and be able to chat with a counsellor.
Sometimes, simply having someone to whom one can talk to about one’s problems can stop that person from committing suicide and instead seek treatment. Establishing hotlines, whereby persons suffering from depression can have someone they can talk to, is a relatively cheap and inexpensive way to save lives from suicide. It can also be used to help in cases of domestic violence.
One has to therefore, ask how is it that we read about all manner of initiatives in Guyana in the area of social services, but we have not read about the establishment of a suicide prevention hotline. After all, we do have and have had for some time now a suicide problem in Guyana
All it will take is to have two persons on two telephone lines working at any one time. Who knows the number of suicides that may have been prevented in Guyana had such a hotline been established.
Suicide has long been a problem in Guyana, and we have little to show in terms of the successful arresting of this problem. With an increase in cases of domestic violence, Guyana must prepare for the inevitable spike in suicides, because as we have seen, many of the perpetrators of domestic violence take their own lives after seriously harming their partners.
It is not too late for Guyana to take steps to establish a Suicide Prevention Hotline. It will require setting up the infrastructure. But this can happen in a small room within the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. It will require identifying potential counsellors and having them trained. Finding the trainers will also be necessary, but this can be speedily arranged with one phone call to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the United States or many of the other non-profit organizations undertaking similar work.
It will require a Budget. But it is hard to see the opposition opposing any supplementary provision for this purpose. In other words, there is no need for Guyana to wait until next year’s Budget before it launches its own suicide prevention hotline. It can begin to do so right away and have trained personnel in place within two months.
Depression is a serious and often misunderstood problem in society. It can afflict anyone. Sometimes those in depression choose to take their own lives. This can be prevented. All it takes, at times, is a friendly ear at the end of a phone line.

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