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Male suicide rising in T&T
There has been a 25 per cent increase in suicides in T&T over the last eight years, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
Between 2016 and 2019, 371 people took their lives, an average of 93 suicides per year. Comparatively, between 2020 and 2023, 478 people died by suicide—an average of 120 per year.
Four out of five suicide victims in T&T are men, which is higher than the global average of a male being twice as likely to die by suicide. Men have accounted for 83 per cent of self-inflicted deaths in this country since 2020. However, data about the most common motives is not available.According to psychiatrist and former independent senator Dr Varma Deyalsingh, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning almost ten years ago that depression would be one of the main causes of morbidity by 2020.This was because men tend not to seek help as often as women for depression, while men also use more lethal means to attempt suicide.
“There is data that shows that men and women handle depression differently. So while a woman may reach out—she may talk to her friends and family—a man may internalise. While a woman may decide that I need to seek help, a man may think it is beyond me—I’m a man. I’m supposed to be strong. I’m not supposed to cry. So, it’s sort of engrained culturally,” the psychiatrist said. “Because of this, we have also seen that men may rather go and abuse alcohol, or go to bars. They will go to seek out alcohol to numb their feelings, rather than go and do other healthy activities. This is why there’s a challenge to reach out to men. It’s a challenge to tell them, hey, it’s OK to cry. It’s OK to come in to speak to a professional. It’s OK to speak to others.”
Most cases among people in their 30s, 60s and over
* The age group with the most suicides is the 30 to 39-year-old age group, which accounted for 20 per cent of all suicides. This age group was closely followed by the 60 and over group, which accounted for 19 per cent.
* Victims in their 50s accounted for 17 per cent; 40s–19 per cent; 30s–20 per cent; and 20s–14 per cent.
* Thirty-one adolescents and teenagers took their own lives, with eight of them under the age of 15 years old.
There has been a 25 per cent increase in suicides in T&T over the last eight years, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
Between 2016 and 2019, 371 people took their lives, an average of 93 suicides per year. Comparatively, between 2020 and 2023, 478 people died by suicide—an average of 120 per year.
Four out of five suicide victims in T&T are men, which is higher than the global average of a male being twice as likely to die by suicide. Men have accounted for 83 per cent of self-inflicted deaths in this country since 2020. However, data about the most common motives is not available.According to psychiatrist and former independent senator Dr Varma Deyalsingh, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning almost ten years ago that depression would be one of the main causes of morbidity by 2020.This was because men tend not to seek help as often as women for depression, while men also use more lethal means to attempt suicide.
“There is data that shows that men and women handle depression differently. So while a woman may reach out—she may talk to her friends and family—a man may internalise. While a woman may decide that I need to seek help, a man may think it is beyond me—I’m a man. I’m supposed to be strong. I’m not supposed to cry. So, it’s sort of engrained culturally,” the psychiatrist said. “Because of this, we have also seen that men may rather go and abuse alcohol, or go to bars. They will go to seek out alcohol to numb their feelings, rather than go and do other healthy activities. This is why there’s a challenge to reach out to men. It’s a challenge to tell them, hey, it’s OK to cry. It’s OK to come in to speak to a professional. It’s OK to speak to others.”
Most cases among people in their 30s, 60s and over
* The age group with the most suicides is the 30 to 39-year-old age group, which accounted for 20 per cent of all suicides. This age group was closely followed by the 60 and over group, which accounted for 19 per cent.
* Victims in their 50s accounted for 17 per cent; 40s–19 per cent; 30s–20 per cent; and 20s–14 per cent.
* Thirty-one adolescents and teenagers took their own lives, with eight of them under the age of 15 years old.
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