October 10th, 2019 marked World Mental Health Day, which was observed this year with a specific focus on suicide prevention.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every 40 seconds a person loses their life to suicide.
Guyana has ranked among the countries with the highest suicide rates in the world. According to a Pan American Health Organization report on Adolescent and Youth Health, suicide ranked high among the 15 to 24 year age group. The stats also showed that while there were suicide attempts among young women, actual suicide rates were higher among men.