DID YOU KNOW that suicide rates are at an all time high across the Caribbean? A June 2018 article by NPR detailed that the World Health Organization listed Guyana has having the 3rd highest suicide rate in the world. The Guyanese government has launched initiatives to decrease the rate including seeing a rise in the amount of practicing psychologists and psychiatrist from 7 in 2014 to 24 in 2018.  In March 2017, an article by LoopTT.com outlined that Trinidad and Tobago ranked third in suicide rates among the Caribbean, after Guyana, and Suriname. 

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Likely factors responsible for these high suicide rates include poverty, pervasive stigma about mental illness, access to lethal chemicals, alcohol misuse, interpersonal violence, family dysfunction and insufficient mental health resources. During several visits to the Caribbean I have had the misfortune of learning from school teachers that too many of their students have tried to commit suicide, lost a loved one to suicide, and/or are engaging in self mutilation to cope with anxiety and depression.

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Through Pride Caribe I hope to create awareness and implement solutions for the issues that plague our home countries.  The diaspora is stronger when we work together.  We have the resources to combat our most challenging social ills. 

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In 2018, I began drafting plans to develop virtual crisis centers to provide safe and confidential mental health counseling services for youth in crisis during school hours.  Some schools are not equipped with full time counselors.  Even in schools with full times counselors, students are not always given the basic right of confidentiality and/or are hesitant to seek help due to the stigma attached to mental health services.  The idea is that students experience an emotional and/or life crisis would have access to log-in to a virtual platform using a computer in a private room at their school in order to be connected to a qualified counselor.  Ideally, students will feel more confident in the service as they can remain anonymous and if needed students can request additional supports allowing the counselors to facilitate referrals to needed resources.

 

My goal for 2021 is to identify a community partner that can help execute this mission and see it to fruition by 2022. If you or you know an organization, institution, or professional who may be interested in support the cause please email me at pridecaribe@gmail.com.

 

One Caribbean!

 

Sincerely,

A. Nicole Gittens