Dear Editor,
Much is being made over the publication of a WHO report which said it was estimated that Guyana recorded the highest suicide rate in the world in 2012. Many opposition elements are seeking to make political capital out of what can be regarded as an anecdotal occurrence which could conceivably happen in any country of the world.
The truth of the matter is that suicide rates have nothing to do with poverty levels or the socio-economic status of a country. Suicide and suicidal tendencies are what sociologists refer to as sui generis, that is, they are in a class on their own.
It was the famous French Sociologist Emile Durkheim who in his study of suicide came up with a typology of suicide in which he posited that suicide and suicide rates are dependent on a number of variables such as types of family structures, religious and cultural beliefs and drastic changes in life circumstances, among several others. He distinguished between altruistic suicide which resulted from an over-internalization of societal norms and anomic suicide which is caused by a change in life circumstances such as a rapid rise or decline in status. This latter type is more pronounced among stars who sometimes find it difficult to cope with a sudden rise or fall from stardom.
According to Durkheim, single individuals are more prone to commit suicide than married couples due to a lack of family support during periods of stress and depression.
The point I am seeking to make is that there is not much to be gained from seeking to politicize what is clearly a cultural, neurological and emotional condition which transcends national boundaries and politics.
Yours faithfully,
Hydar Ally
