The discovery of a man’s body at Pelican Lifestyle Centre this week was deeply saddening, especially at this time of the year when people are expected to be in a celebratory mood and preparing to welcome a new year.
The death interrupted an ordinary day for workers and visitors, and it reminded us all, once again, that behind the bustle of daily life, there are Barbadians who are hurting deeply and often, silently.
While police investigations will determine the circumstances of this tragic death, the wider issue it raises cannot be ignored: too many people in Barbados are struggling to cope, and not enough is being done to reach them before they reach a breaking point.
Suicide and self-harm are not comfortable topics to discuss in our households or in society, generally. We still whisper about them, avoid naming them directly, and sometimes reduce them to rumours.
Worse yet, those who are unsuccessful in their attempts on their lives often endure painful judgment from family and friends, rather than care and empathy.
Our failure to openly discuss the matter and the conditions that are leading more people to suicidal ideation is creating an even greater challenge. A culture in which pain is hidden, especially among young people and men, who are often least likely to ask for help and most likely to be shamed for needing it, compounds the issue.
Young Barbadians are growing up in an era of intense pressure. Economic uncertainty, high unemployment or underemployment, rising cost of living, academic stress, family instability and the constant comparison culture of social media. All these factors combine to create a sense of hopelessness for too many people.
When young people feel that their best efforts seem to be leading nowhere, or that their worth is measured mainly by exam results, the income of their family or even online likes, their mental health can deteriorate quickly.
The Ministry of Health’s mental health hotline — 535-4600 — is a valuable initiative; however, some mental health professionals assert that a more comprehensive support system is required and that youth mental health resources remain limited and fragmented.
School counselling services are often limited, with too few trained professionals in the school system. Private care can be unaffordable, while many families in need lack the knowledge on how or where to access treatment for their loved ones. For a young person or family already in distress, these are challenging barriers.
Statistics across the region and globally consistently show that men die by suicide at higher rates than women, even though women may report higher levels of suicidal thoughts.
Men are less likely to seek professional help, less likely to confide in friends, and more likely to reach a crisis point without being noticed. When tragedy strikes, we express shock, but at the same time, we often fail to confront the conditions that helped create the tragedy in the first place.
We are confident that the island needs a coordinated, well-funded national mental health strategy that focuses on prevention, early intervention and much greater accessibility to mental health support.
Mental health services should also be seamlessly integrated into regular public healthcare so that those people seeking help become as routine as getting their blood pressure or diabetes checks.
What is also critical is targeted outreach to young men. This will require mental health service providers meeting them where they are, whether it is on the block, on the football fields and sports clubs, workplaces, churches and online.
We must also be careful to use messengers whom they trust. Men also need to hear, repeatedly and publicly, that masculinity also includes asking for help.
We as a society must look out for each other more. The National Conservation Commission quoted in this news story sensed that “something ain’t look right”.
Many of us have had similar feelings about someone we know, and so, we must be willing to open conversations, undertake periodic check-ins, or even guide someone to professional help. These are all steps that can make the difference between life and death.
If you or someone you know is in distress or thinking about suicide, help is available.
Call Lifeline Barbados, the mental health crisis hotline, at 536‑4500 or the Samaritans at 429-9999 for free, confidential support, available 24 hours a day.
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