RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To review the suicide data in Guyana for mitigation. DESIGN AND METHODS: Data were collected and analyzed to establish gravity and trend of suicides in Guyana. RESULTS: In 2012, were 277 suicides and 6,925 attempted suicides in Guyana. There was a disproportionate increase in the Age-Specific Suicide Rates with age and sex. The most commonly used method for committing suicides was poisoning (pesticides and insecticides) accounting for more than 65% of cases, followed by hanging (>20%). East Indians accounted for 83.3% of all the suicides followed by Afro-Guyanese who accounted for 6.5% followed by Amerindians who accounted for 5.4% (Guyana Ministry of Health Reports, 2014). Hindus accounted for 33.7% of all attempted suicides while Pentecostals accounted for 34.3% Muslims 7.3%, and Adventists 7.0%. Catholics accounted for 3.8% while Jehovahs Witnesses accounted for 2.0%. It was also hard to explain why Orthodox Christians, namely Anglicans, Presbyterians and Methodists accounted for 0.9%, 1.2% and 0.9% respectively while the rates were higher with Pentecostals. CONCLUSIONS: Given that 65% of suicide mortality was due to poisoning (pesticides) and that high rates of suicide mortality were concentrated in certain regions, limiting access to these lethal products through a comprehensive community program is a crucial intervention. Various (12 in number) known community myths about suicides in Guyana were discussed in full as tools for suicide prevention and management.