As the fight against suicide continues in Guyana, stigma of and taboo with regards to mental illnesses and the shortage of skilled professionals have been recognised as weakness areas going forward.The weakness areas were identified by Caribbean Voice, a New York based non-governmental organisation. The NGO, which focuses largely on suicide and its effect on society, established a suicide strengths, weaknesses,Wholesale Jerseys 2017, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis.According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Guyana is ranked first in suicides per capita worldwide. The 2014 WHO report indicated that Guyana suffers 44.2 suicides per 100,000 persons per year. TCV noted that, in effect, there are about 333 suicides per year in a population of about 750,000. Furthermore,Cheap Jerseys From China, TCV also estimated that at least 25 percent of suicides go unreported.“This would mean that there are at least 425 suicides per year in Guyana. However, empirical evidence reveals that unreported suicides are higher than 25 percent, thus actual suicides could well be higher than 425 annually,” TVC said. The NGO added that Guyana would have almost 11,000 attempted suicides a year based on estimates.In its analysis on suicide, TVC indicated that the support of NGOs in Guyana was a big strength in the fight against suicide. NGOs such as TVC,Cheap Jerseys Store, Caribbean American Domestic Violence Awareness (CADVA), Save Abee and Inspire Inc. have been working stridently for a number of years to curb suicide. TCV noted that the willingness of businesses to offer support also went a far way.In relation to the general population, the NGO also noted that the public’s willingness to participate in suicide prevention was a strong point along with increasing advocacy and education through the media.The latter strength is particularly impactful amongst youths who happen to be the most affected by suicide.Data shows that suicide is the leading cause of death among young people ages 15 to 24 and the third leading cause of death among persons ages 25 to 44. Additionally, suicide is the leading cause of death in the 15 to 19 age group among females and the second leading cause of death among males in the same age range.Meanwhile, the NGO indicated that increased resources, training, capacity building, and awareness of the issues and needs were also strengths for suicide prevention.Weaknesses and threatsHowever, while TCV identified a number of strengths, it identified even more weaknesses. At the top of its list of weaknesses was lack of effective and empathetic communication to those suffering from depression.“An inability to deal with problems and unbearable pain – physical or emotionally – generally give rise to awful agony and depression and feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, powerlessness and loneliness,” TCV said. It added, “Suicidal mindsets are prone to lack of emphatic communication and love levels of self-acceptance or feelings of inadequacy.”Furthermore, TCV noted that there was no concerted planning and implementation amongst stakeholders when it came to suicide. While it was indicated that efforts were underway in individual organisations to push suicide prevention,Cheap NFL Jerseys, the efforts of all of these organisations were not one.Another major weakness identified was the stigma and taboo surrounding mental illnesses. “There is a resistance to change due to fear, ignorance and other factors,” the TCV noted. The NGO added that the lack of an existing mental health programme was a threat to the suicide fight.Meanwhile, TCV noted that the shortage of skilled professionals under the current system of care was a serious obstacle.According to the NGO, there are only five psychologists in the government health care system while there are “woefully inadequate” social workers and counsellors.Nonetheless, TCV is optimistic that positive steps can be made if opportunities are taken up. Opportunities include increasing internet access to free online training for professionals, sensitization workshops for students through reports, artwork or projects and the cross-training of University of Guyana (UG) students in all aspects of human services.Additionally, TCV believed that the setting up of a crisis network with referral sites in each Region, coupled with a collaborative approach between the public and private sector and NGOS and activists would go a long way.TCV also suggested that more stringent policies should be put in place to limit the access to poisonous substances consumed by suicidal persons.In Guyana, almost all suicides are committed by ingesting substances, especially agriculture-based ones and pesticides and cleaning agents.Bibi Ahamad,<a href="http://www.wholesale