Suicide in Guyana

Suicide in Guyana is a serious social problem, as Guyana ranks worst for the number of suicides per capita worldwide among sovereign nations.

Suicide in Guyana

Statistical

Domestic data on suicide in Guyana is limited, as the country's existing medical literature mainly focuses on infectious tropical diseases. A 2012 World Health Organization report indicated that Guyana has a suicide rate of 44.2 per 100,000 people and for every woman who commits suicide, 3.2 men commit suicide. For comparison, neighboring Suriname has a suicide rate of 27.8 per 100,000, and Venezuela's rate is 2.6 per 100,000.

Legal issues

The government's efforts to resolve the issue have been hampered by political divisions. A bill was voted on in 2016, which would amend the country's laws to prevent suicide, implement the 2014 Mental Health Strategic Plan and the National Suicide Prevention Plan. 5 years are all developed by the previous government and allocated funds for treatment. Mental health and suicide are national priorities. Speakers for the parliamentary majority argued that the way in which the legislation was framed was both politicized and trivialized.

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