The Madness We Ignore: Suicide, Stigma, and Silence in Jamaica

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In Jamaica, mental health isn’t just misunderstood—it’s dismissed. “A mad man dat,” we say, brushing off breakdowns with a shrug and a side-eye. “Low him, him mad.” But what happens when the madness is real, raw, and fatal?  Tyra Spaulding, a radiant soul and former Miss Universe Jamaica contestant, died by suicide at just 26. 

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She had been pleading for help online, posting videos where she said, “My mind is trying to kill me”. She wasn’t hiding. She was fighting. And still, she died. The Jamaica Defence Force recently released suicide statistics that should shake us: 67 deaths in 2024, the highest in nearly 25 years. Sixty-one of those were men. And yet, the national conversation remains dimmed, drowned in stigma and silence.

Then there’s June Dixon, aka Rosalee—a TikToker whose disturbing comments about harming children sparked outrage. Should someone like her be in mandatory care? Absolutely. But instead of intervention, we get viral views and moral panic. Where is the accountability? Where is the protection?

Mental illness in Jamaica is treated like a spectacle, not a sickness. We watch from the side-lines as people unravel. We whisper, we judge, we laugh. But we don’t help. And when help is available—helplines like 888-NEW-LIFE or Safe Spot—it’s buried beneath shame, fear, and cultural resistance.

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We need to stop dimming the light. We need to stop pretending that therapy is “white people ting” or that suicide is just weakness. We need to stop letting influencers weaponize trauma for clout while vulnerable people slip through the cracks.

This isn’t just a crisis. It’s a cultural reckoning.

So what now?

• Mandatory mental health screenings in schools and workplaces.
• Public education campaigns that dismantle stigma.
• Legal consequences for those who incite harm online.
• Accessible, affordable therapy—not just for the elite, but for every Jamaican.

Let’s stop saying “low him, him mad” and start asking “how can we help?”

The light must shine brighter. The time is now.

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