The connection between stress and suicide in Guyana

Dec 24, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
The alarming suicide rate in this country seems surprising. However, it shouldn’t be. The World Health Organization (WHO) in 2014 placed Guyana on top of the list of countries in suicide rankings. Guyana easily cruises into the top spot with a fourfold higher suicide rate as compared to global figures. All indicators are that Guyana will remain a top contender for a long time to come. This scourge will linger on and even climb, guaranteeing our top spot bearing the fact that society is overburdened with stress that goes unheeded. Stress is dreadful and has damaging effects on the brain. It compromises mental health by rewiring neuronal circuitries disrupting equilibrium and changing its physiology (function) thereby unleashing an abundance of mental health related issues – – – suicide, depression and alcoholism.
It is to be remembered that folks who are depressed or are alcoholics are also more likely to commit suicide. Without hesitation stress should be pinned down as one of the key culprits driving this problem. Who will disagree that our lives are not burdened by unbearable stress emanating from grave poverty, dysfunctional politics and bloated corruption to say the least? Such a toxic dynamic inexorably hatches a spectrum of secondary problems including: joblessness, bankruptcy, lack of interventions, poor health care outcomes, discrimination, racism, bullying, mental abuse, crime, disrespect, physical abuse and domestic abuse all of which create merciless stress taking a heavy toll on our lives. Given this picture the massive suicide rate should not surprise any of us one bit.
An avalanche of evidence from multiple sources supports that stress deals a blow to life. Take for example the WHO report that three quarters of all global suicides occur in low- and middle -income countries suggesting that economic hardships is a potent inducer of stress which ultimately drives suicide. In another example, just within the last few months Mr. Sham Harrinauth, a detainee at the West Ruimveldt outpost hanged himself as a means of undoubtedly escaping the pains of stress. Who can argue that Mr. Harrinauth was not under pressure when he was in detention? This is clear cut evidence demonstrating that stress is a propeller of suicide. Had Mr. Harinauth not been in the lock up, he would have been alive today. Moreover, just within this week two rural Wakenaam residents (Sydney Ramphal and Soma Bhyro) committed suicide. An examination of their stories leading up to their deaths revealed that these gentlemen were experiencing stressful life events (ill-health and domestic turmoil) which I am sure were undoubtedly tied to the poverty-stricken conditions that have enveloped this country.
One might rightly question, given the fact that we are all in the same boat why we are all not committing suicide? However, it must be noted that while we are all in the same boat many of us are on different decks: i.e. there are individual differences. There are those who can cope and there are those who are incapable of coping due to biological, social and psychological differences. Those incapable of coping resort to alcoholism and suicide as escape routes. This is maladaptive. The Hindus of Indo-Guyanese descent fall right into this category. Surely, when the Hindus run into insurmountable stress and are incapable of coping they resort to ramp up booze or commit suicide. This is clearly evident in society. So stress coupled with maladaptive coping strategies is buckling the Hindus into suicide and driving up the statistics.
There is no need to kid ourselves that hiding pesticides, ropes and other methods used to commit suicide will address this problem. This strategy isn’t going to get us anywhere. Folks who are stressed will find a way to seek out alternative options of killing themselves. It gets even more ridiculous when we enlist police officers to tackle this problem. What we need are social workers, psychologists, clergymen and politicians whose priorities are to create jobs, increase educational opportunities and create safety nets for those who are being drowned by social pressures. Stress needs to be significantly minimizing to put a dent into the massive suicide rate.
Dr. Cecil Dilip Kumar

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The connection between stress and suicide in Guyana

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