Latest update June 16th, 2026 12:40 AM
Guyana’s youth suicide rate still highest in the region
…leading cause of death for young people in the country
(Kaieteur News) – While the Americas is the only region in the world where suicide rates are currently increasing, a new report highlights that Guyana still holds the highest suicide mortality rate for adolescents and young adults in the entire hemisphere.
The new study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas and released by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) revealed that between 2000 and 2021, the suicide rate among Guyanese youth aged 10–24 stands at 21.8 deaths per 100,000 population.
This figure is nearly triple the regional average of 7.84 per 100,000. Most critically, while interpersonal violence and road injuries are the top killers of youth across the Americas, suicide is the leading cause of death for young people in Guyana, the report pointed out.
The report identifies a unique and deadly pattern regarding the methods used in Guyana. Regionally, hanging is the most common method of suicide, accounting for 58.4% of youth deaths. However, Guyana deviates sharply from this trend; 64.2% of youth suicides in Guyana are attributed to poisoning by pesticides.
This is the highest proportion of pesticide-related suicide deaths among all 35 countries studied, reflecting a specific “contextual influence” related to the easy availability and access to toxic substances in the country, the report states.
Signs of progress
Despite these alarming figures, the report offers a glimmer of hope for Guyana. It was the only country identified as having a suicide rate significantly above the regional average while simultaneously showing a declining temporal trend. While countries like Paraguay, the United States, and Uruguay are seeing their youth suicide rates climb, Guyana’s average annual percentage change (AAPC) has moved in a negative direction since 2000, the report states.
The path forward
The findings suggest that Guyana remains a high-priority area for suicide prevention. Experts note that because such a high percentage of deaths involve pesticides, scaling up evidence-based means-restriction policies—specifically targeting the availability of toxic chemicals—could be the most effective way to continue driving down the mortality rate.
Furthermore, the report emphasizes that because youth are navigating rapid psychological and social developments, there is an urgent need for:
* Strengthened school-based mental health programs to identify at-risk students early
* Cultural and community-based interventions that address the specific social pressures and poverty-related risks facing Guyanese youth
* Enhanced digital literacy to protect younger adolescents (aged 10–14) from harmful online content, as this age group is seeing the fastest growth in suicide rates regionally [
While Guyana has made strides in turning the tide, the report concludes that without sustained, multisectoral action, suicide will continue to be a leading yet preventabl cause of death for the nation’s next generation.
Multiple preventable factors driving the increase
Meanwhile, the report highlights suicide among adolescents and young adults in the Americas has increased by 38% over the past two decades, with 18,157 young people aged 10 to 24 dying by suicide in 2021 alone. Several factors that may be associated with this increase, include: mental health conditions (such as depression and anxiety appearing at younger ages), substance use, excessive exposure to digital environments and cyberbullying, social pressures, and easy access to lethal means.
Evidence also shows that many of these factors are preventable or treatable, especially when identified early.
“The increase in suicide mortality among younger populations calls for stronger early detection and interventions in schools and communities,” said Renato Oliveira e Souza, Chief of PAHO’s Mental Health and Substance Use Unit. “It is essential to continue expanding access to mental health services and strengthening measures aimed at restricting access to lethal means.”
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