Ripple Effect: A Comparative Study of Male Suicide in Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and Guyana – Part II

This is a two part series, for Part I please click here.

Following Charran’s passing in June, another man, 29-year-old Jeremy Ramcharan from Penal took his life in July. Then, in August, 23-year-old, athlete and barber, Shaquille Josh Benjamin, died by suicide. The family and friends of each of these men said they struggled with depression.

Suicide Hotspots in T&T

Based on Central Statistical Office (CSO) statistics, four areas of residence in Trinidad account for the most male suicides between 2016 to 2019: Tunapuna/Piarco, Princes Town, Penal/Debe, and Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, the latter ranking with the highest rate of male suicides with 101 male suicides. Both Charran and Michael are from that area. During that same period, male suicides in the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo area steadily decreased from approximately 40 to 20 male suicides.

Art Therapy

“There are layers and layers of factors that contribute to suicide. I kind of liken it to when you throw a rock into water. There’s the initial impact and then there are ripples that go around the rock in layers. All these layers are contributing factors,” Psychotherapist and art therapist, Sian MacLean, said.

She noted that because the pandemic created a spike in mental health related issues, there’s been an increase in male clients coming to her who are struggling with suicidal ideation. Many of whom engage with art therapy to help soothe themselves and relax. But for men who cannot afford private therapy, MacLean said a lot of work has to be done in the country’s public mental healthcare system to accommodate their vulnerable position. 

“Five sessions of therapy are not enough, it’s not going to help much especially for someone who has life-long depression, or going through a crisis, or is suicidal,” MacLean said.

Pondering on what else requires improvement, MacLean said more awareness of mental health in the country’s schools with the addition of mental health counsellors, beginning at the primary school level was important. This, she said, can help prepare children for adulthood by teaching them coping mechanisms as they navigate the volatility of life.

“There are a lot of children that I see who are falling apart by Standard Four and Five; they are completely stressed out, the anxiety is off the charts, the depression has started,” Maclean said.

Twenty years ago, when the idea of doing therapy was less talked about than it is today, coupled with a lack of mental health resources, MacLean’s son’s father died by suicide. He had an undiagnosed learning disability and encountered many difficulties staying in school. MacLean suspected he may have had bipolar disorder. Following their divorce, he tried many times to hold down jobs and relationships which ultimately failed. And to cope with the ceaseless pressures, resorted to drugs for self-medicating depression.

“It’s almost like you’re not allowed to have a mental health issue because it makes you “less” of a man. I think many of men lack the tools to for that, so art therapy can definitely help you learn different coping strategies.” MacLean said, adding, “You don’t have to be an artist to engage in art therapy.”

Those who would’ve lost children to suicide, she strongly recommends community support to help survive the grief. Although suicide is not predictable, it can be preventable. MacLean urges parents to be vigilant of their children’s behaviour, paying close attention to any changes to their sleep, diet, and communication. Parents are tasked to be observant of any bullying or discrimination their children may be facing, too.

The Gender Ideology

In addressing the unhealthy societal expectations of men, Rowans argues that there needs to be a re-thinking of gender that better aligns to the sombre reality faced by men as it pertains to suicide and mental health. 

“We should allow men to manifest their emotions, because then it’s like training, so when you’re faced with problems later on, which can affect you emotionally, you’d have the tools to deal with it, as girls have,” Rowans said. 

Masculinity is not inherently toxic, but certain behaviours can be.

The Holistic Approach to Suicide

For generations suicidal ideation ran in Nazim’s family. His mother’s uncle died by suicide before he was born. In protest, he argues that the nonchalant ways to which Trinbagonians view and address mental health, and where it fits into their lives, is harmful. 

  “People need to understand the concept of mind, body, spirit. You cannot do anything if you’re not in the right head space. So, your mental health, physical health, your spiritual health—they work together, we need to change the way we see it…There has to be a holistic approach towards mental health,” Mohammed said. 

“I think my family sees me in a better place, because I attempted it. I was given the task to break that generational curse. And even though I may have ended up in the same situation as some of family members, I survived it, and I think they look at that and say, “I am happy that he is probably able to heal,’” Mohammed said.

Reflecting on his teenage days when he’d felt rejected and out of place, Mohammed shared that within the past year no experience has had the power to convince him that life was not worth living.

“If I am faced with a very traumatic challenge or a high stress situation, I apply what I learnt in therapy, which is: look at the facts, control what you can, and be realistic with yourself. I decided to love me more. I turned my pain into power,” Mohammed said. 

By the end of the year, Mohammed hopes to publish his first book titled, The Healing.

Moreover, Guyana will launch its first national 24/7 suicide hotline before the end of the year, according to Dr. Morgan, which will be an important tool to deescalate mental health crises, and if needed, to act as immediate intervention for those contemplating suicide. 

In April, the Ministry of Health of Guyana launched the National Mental Health Action Plan & Suicide Prevention Plan 2024 – 2030, which will seek to develop a community-based mental healthcare system. A main feature of the new national policy is its adoption of a human rights approach in addressing mental health and suicide, improving the treatment of patients. The strategic move will even go as far as deinstitutionalising mental health services away from psychiatric hospitals with the strengthening of mental health services at various communities across Guyana.  And coupling these efforts, there will be twice-weekly mobile psychiatric clinics for persons unable to go to the hospital for mental health treatment. 

What will prove a challenge for Guyana in its plans to reduce the male suicide rate among its population is the interjection of Venezuelan migrants who have found economic safety there. By law, Guyana’s constitution guarantees free healthcare to anyone within its borders, regardless of citizenship, guaranteeing the same rights to free healthcare as the Guyanese. But with the country’s large borders that are not well controlled, Dr. Morgan said, the Government of Guyana must adapt to cater to the needs of migrants, providing services, including mental health assistance, in Spanish.  

“There is a paradigm shift occurring. What we are doing, if we do not adapt it to meet the growing needs of the population, especially the Venezuelan migrants, then there will be another set of factors that we’ll have to deal with it especially when it comes to suicide and alcohol abuse,” Dr. Morgan said.

The inclusion of Venezuelans into Guyana’s society will change the way in which the Ministry of Health in Guyana works with persons with mental illnesses over the next 5 to 10 years. 

As for Michael, he wants more open and honest discussions on male suicide in Trinidad and Tobago, beyond talks of there being a suicide hotline. When Michael had noticed his own depression was getting worse, he took action by changing the colour of his room to green and all-black wardrobe to one with colour.

“You don’t know somebody has suicidal thoughts; you might see them sad. Ask them how they’re doing. Try to strike up a conversation. They might shoot you down, so try the next day, and the day after that. Eventually you’re going to get an answer because not everyone is that closed off.”