Ex-health minister: TT’s suicide rate higher than the US

Former health minister Dr Fuad Khan has called on the population to be “our brother/sister’s keeper,” as TT’s suicide rate is higher than that of the United States.

In a statement Thursday, Khan cited the World Populations Review, which ranks TT as the “36th highest nation in the world when it comes to suicides (14.6 suicides per 100k),” which is higher than the United States and Cambodia.

He said TT society is “facing tough times ahead,” which included the closure of Petrotrin’s Pointe-a-Pierre oil refinery and over 1,700 workers being sent home.

“We live in a society that is facing tough times ahead. There are some people out here who don’t know where their next meal is coming from.

“What about the workers who are to be retrenched from Petrotrin? That is the one company some of them have worked for their entire lives? What about them?”

He said not all is well in TT, “And we live in a society where each and every one of us has to confront challenging issues on a daily basis.”

There are several reasons, Khan said, why people may suffer from depression and consider suicide, including “loneliness; bullying; betrayal, losing a job or even an undiagnosed mental health issue.”

He asked: “What about the university student who is stressed – trying to figure out their way in life; trying to live up to the expectations of their parents?

“What about the young man who is struggling with addiction and because of his depression turns to alcohol and drugs for an answer?

“What about the woman who is being beaten on a daily basis by her husband? What about the young man who was disowned by his family because he is gay? What about the woman who was just diagnosed with HIV?

“What about the child who was sexually abused? What about the man whose wife/girlfriend just left him?”

Khan said when speaking to a person who might be suicidal, it is critical not to dismiss what they are saying, as this may “minimise a person’s pain without even realising it.”

He said there are several warning signs to look for, including “dramatic changes in behaviour or weight; drinking more than usual; mood changes; anxiety; making hopeless statements about death and dying; and isolating or withdrawing, such as dropping out of activities.”

He said there were several groups which could help, including Families in Action; National Domestic Violence Hotline; the Rape Crisis Society; and the Children’s Authority.