Dear Editor,
There is a lot of talk of oil wealth and much fanfare regarding its implications on the lives of Guyanese in the coming decades. Most notably – multi billion dollar investments into infrastructure from fancy hotels to oil tankers of grandiose propositions. While this is a fantastic feat, it begs the question, why aren’t we making similar investments into the absolute and most critical aspect of our country’s asset. Why aren’t we investing in the mental wellbeing of a population that would be unprepared for prospects of “much” wealth? Mental Health has long afflicted our country, we have the second highest suicide rate in the world, gender based violence is at an all-time high, abject poverty is ever more glaring as the pandemic rages on, spiraling blue collar and violent crime, and minority groups like the LGBTQ+ community and refugees from Haiti and Venezuela, are pushed to the fringes of society to exist in obscurity. A lot of these social ills are manifestations of unresolved psychological issues, stemming as far as the formative years of development. Human development is a complex phenomenon that involves a combination of our inherited biological characteristics and environmental influences. Hence, our personality is shaped by these factors; it is generally accepted by the scientific community that when certain personality trait becomes too rigid and inflexible, it may lead to the development of a personality disorder. People with personality disorders have consistent patterns of thinking and acting that differ from what society considers usual or normal.
According to the American Psychological Association “childhood trauma is one of the leading causes of developing a personality disorder. Findings from one of the largest studies of personality disorders, the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study, offer clues about the role of childhood experiences. One study found a link between the number and type of childhood traumas and the development of personality disorders. People with borderline personality disorder, for example, had especially high rates of childhood sexual trauma.” As stated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which is the standard reference book for recognized mental illnesses, “borderline personality disorder is marked by unstable moods, poor self-image, chaotic relationships, and impulsive behaviour (such as sexual promiscuity, substance abuse, over-spending, and reckless driving).” The Child Care and Protection Agency in its 2020 report said that “3,129 children between ages 1 to 18 were either abused physically, sexually or verbally; neglected, abandoned or witnessed abuse. The figures also showed that 688 girls between the ages of 14 and 18 and 127 boys were sexually abused.” (Stabroek News, 2021). The Rights of the Child Commission Chairperson Ms. Aleema Nasir at the time of submitting the commission’s annual report for 2017-2020 stated that “there is a lot of neglect, a lot of abuse and a lot of incest”. These findings are worrying as this disorder can manifest due to these unresolved traumas, as it’s the most common of all the personality disorders and it is often misdiagnosed as Bi-Polar Disorder.
Psychologist Abraham Maslow in his paper “A Theory of Human Motivation and subsequent book Motivation and Personality” talks about the hierarchy of needs, starting from physiological needs all the way up to self-actualization. In our society there is soul sucking poverty and poor social services; many of our citizens’ struggle to have access to food, clean water and shelter. Lacking these needs may fuel a natural craving to fulfill a basic innate need by any means necessary. Hence, a lot of persons are developing Anti-Social Personality Disorder. According to the American Psychiatric Association “Anti-Social Personality Disorder is a pattern of disregarding or violating the rights of others. A person with antisocial personality disorder may not conform to social norms, may repeatedly lie or deceive others, or may act impulsively.” As such, we can attribute poverty as one of the leading cause of the ongoing crime wave, influencing persons to become criminals as a means of survival to meet their basic needs. Our multiblended cultures and ethnicities that wraps the fabric of Guyanese society is one of our greatest strengths. However, we cannot use the cookie cutter approach in identifying and mitigating mental health issues in the different faucets of our society. Our mixture of individualistic and collectivistic cultures has made this plague of mental health even harder to address, as some portion of society “will sweep it under the rug”, while another portion may say “toughen up and get going”. Suicide is at the forefront in our battle with mental health and it is predominantly higher in the communities of Indian decent. Ministry of Health data states “It was found that Region 2 had the highest number of suicides followed by Region 6, with the East Indian population bearing 68% of suicides, followed by African-Guyanese with 10% in 2017 as stated by Director of the Mental Health Unit, Dr. Util Richmond-Thomas (DPI, September 10, 2019). There can be considered a link between the collectivistic cultures of Indians and how this contributes to persons developing Dependent Personality Disorder. The American Psychiatric Association defines Dependent Personality Disorder as “a pattern of needing to be taken care of and submissive and clingy behavior. People with dependent personality disorder may have difficulty making daily decisions without reassurance from others or may feel uncomfortable or helpless when alone because of fear of inability to take care of themselves. This culture places emphasis on the goals of the group and smothering is ever pervasive. Whenever these individuals are forced to be independent and face the stressors of life, they are often unable to cope. There is a low level of autonomy, self-identity and, most times decisions are made for you and you are unable to have an input. These are ideal characteristics for someone to develop a low self-esteem and self-confidence. Another factor that can contribute to the high rate of suicide of males in these regions may be due to stagnant socio-economic environment. “According to research funded by the International Labour Organization (ILO) the closure of four sugar estates severely compromised the livelihoods of the laid off workers leading to increased instances of suicide, alcohol consumption and crime.”(Stabroek News, June 11, 2021). Archaic gender roles dictates males are to be providers and protectors. Males aren’t supposed to be able to regulate emotions and express feelings. Hence, in harsh economic climates, they may feel frustrated, and that frustration is then directed onto their spouse. Every so often in our communities, we find ourselves reeling from another murder suicide or brutal domestic violence. Ultimately, this may evolve in Anti-Social Personality Disorder in individuals who commit these offenses. Women develop sensory adaptation and becomes desensitized to the violence. Children in the household mold these behaviours and the cycle continues. Here again, another broken moral compass. Our infrastructure to aid in our fight for adequate mental health services is bleak. “Guyana has been making very poor steps in addressing mental health issues and the state of its treatment hospital has been described as “sad”. The country’s Chief Psychiatrist, Dr. Bhiro Harry called out the authorities for inconsistent action on addressing the plethora of mental health-related illnesses. Dr. Harry told the opening of the Guyana Mental Health and Well-being conference that several plans had been put in place to further develop the level of psychiatric care in Guyana but most, if not all, of those plans have been abandoned.”(Stabroek News, November 9, 2021). Our laws are outdated and colonial as the current law states “Everyone who attempts to commit suicide shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and liable to imprisonment for two years.” After 55 years as an Independent nation, the silent plague continues to eviscerate our society with no end in sight, a raging pandemic will only add to this national issue as we the citizens anticipate much “wealth”.
Sincerely,
Kishan Narine
Student
American University of Peace Studies