TY - JOUR PY - 2020// TI - Suicide among Guyanese youth: Barriers to mental health help-seeking and recommendations for suicide prevention JO - International journal of school and educational psychology A1 - Arora, P.G. A1 - Persaud, S. SP - 133 EP - 145 VL - 8 IS - S1 N2 - The current study sought to better understand barriers to mental health help-seeking for suicide, as well as elicit input on recommendations for suicide prevention and intervention efforts for Guyanese youth. Participants included 17 adult stakeholders (i.e., teachers, administrative staff, and school-allied community workers) and 40 students at a secondary school in Guyana who participated in focus groups and interviews, respectively. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Themes related to perceptions of barriers to mental health help-seeking included shame and stigma about mental illness, fear of negative parental response to mental health help-seeking, and limited awareness and negative beliefs about mental health services. Themes related to recommendations for adolescent suicide prevention in Guyana included the need for culturally informed prevention efforts, the importance of integrating such efforts within schools, and the role of government and community organization in suicide prevention efforts.

FINDINGS have implications for the development and tailoring of suicide prevention efforts for Guyanese youth. © 2019 International School Psychology Association.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 2168-3603 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21683603.2019.1578313 ID - ref1 ER -