Abstract. Suicide and attempted suicide are identified as a serious mental health problem in Suriname, especially in the district of Nickerie. An epidemiological study in the Nickerie catchment area revealed high rates of suicide (48 per 100,000) and attempted suicide (207 per 100,000) on average in the years 2000-2004. Particularly remarkable is the high number of attempted suicides among males (49%), and the use of pesticides in both fatal (55%) and nonfatal suicidal behavior (44%). Probably this high incidence of suicidal behavior reflects the very poor economic situation of the district, poverty of most of the population, high levels of alcohol misuse, domestic violence, the rigidity of Hindustani culture regarding family traditions, the accessibility of pesticides, and the lack of future perspectives. Health care alone will not be sufficient to tackle this problem. One of the most urgent measures to prevent suicides is to stow away pesticides in locked cabinets with the key held by the proprietor.

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Time is an integral element in all actions, organizations and relationships. Temporality has an effect on people's lives, and in turn people manipulate temporality as a means of imposing social order. From a semiotic perspective the amount of time spent on an action and the timing of its conveys messages about such things as importance and status. This holds equally true of organizations as well as individuals. This paper concentrates on a community psychiatric nursing department, its staff and clients. Sections of speech taken from interviews with nurses and clients are presented and discussed from the perspective of temporality to show how relationships are managed on an individual level and how work is organized around different client groups at an organizational level.

Camphor ingestion is a toxic ingestion that is seen infrequently in the emergency department. It is remarkable for its rapidity of action and toxicity. A case of camphor ingestion that displayed toxic effects is presented. The pharmacology, manifestations, and management of this readily available substance are discussed.