Orville Taylor | Worrying suicide rate

One of my favourite callers on Radio Jamaica 94 FM Hotline, in his usual fashion, pulled an item of national significance from the news. The topic was suicide, and the story appeared in the Jamaica Observer. It outlined some significant trends which, truthfully, are not different from what the overall research and literature say about this social phenomenon.

Suicide is a very worrying social phenomenon, and even one single episode of an individual killing him or herself is tragic because human life is precious, and one should not kill, whether him or herself or anyone else, except in saving the life of others. And, even in such cases, in my own mind, there is never any scenario where a person should take his or her own life.

Never mind the story of Biblical Samson, who used his last bit of strength to topple the Philistine temple along with his antagonists, going down a hero. For my friends of faith who believe that the Bible is completely historically accurate and the word of God, Samson’s suicide might create a moral dilemma because the standard teaching among Christians is that the person who takes his own life has short-circuited his path to salvation and will not make it into heaven.

Of course, that is not the case in other belief systems. There are some misguided Islamists who believe that suicide in a holy cause guarantees a spot in paradise, although admittedly that concept of heaven, where a man is rewarded with a bevy of sexual novices, certainly could not appeal to men who truly appreciate being in the company of females who do not require such instructions.

And, for the Christians who might have found the abovementioned comments humorous, milk and honey is actually a laxative, and spending eternity sitting beside Jesus constantly shouting praise does not actually sound like a real reward. Fact is, we really do not know what heaven is, and we should stop pretending that we have the knowledge of God. Just know, however, that we are supposed to be rewarded for doing the right things.

But, back to suicide. Unlike other forms of sudden death, the pain felt by the survivors is immense and coupled with deep feelings of guilt and regret.

Persons who commit suicide leave friends and family members asking, “What could I have done?” “How come I didn’t notice?” The sad truth is: when an individual is committed to ending his or her life, he or she is mindful of the signals that would trigger a rescue. Thus, by the time the decision is made definitively, it is way too late. Signs are given up to the point where the final choice is still wavering.

Our data reveal a slight increase in the number of cases over 2025. The increase is not a significant one, because the numbers are still relatively small, thankfully perhaps because of the low economic status of the majority of the population. We are not a high-suicide country.

Of the total number of suicides annually, the overwhelming majority of victims are males. This is consistent with international data because, typically, men are more efficient when they attempt suicide.

Interestingly, although the successful attempts are overwhelmingly male, more females ‘attempt’ suicide. This is pretty easy to understand because a suicide attempt by a female may very well not be that at all. As a matter of fact, there are unfortunate cases where women underestimate the impact of their action and, by the time assistance comes, it is too late.

Women typically attempt suicide most often because they want to make a statement to others and wish to draw attention to themselves. They may be indirectly seeking help or giving a signal to someone close to them to change their behaviour. Thus, most suicide attempts by women are wake-up calls to their significant others, including spouses, parents, family members, friends, and generally anyone who is supposed to be a custodian of their happiness.

For men, an attempt at suicide is exactly that. Doubtless, there are cases where men attempt to do it or say that they are doing it because they, like women, want the attention or behaviour change from their partners. However, it should be noted that, in our male socialisation, we do not encourage men to show weakness or emotions. After all, one of the sad consequences of men showing their tender underbelly and vulnerabilities, on the whole, to women whom they love and trust, is that sometimes this very act becomes something for women to weaponise and thus hurt them more deeply. Men are taught to suffer in silence as they go through myriad forms of psychological abuse from their spouses or other family members. When they reach the point of no return, they make the ultimate painful decision.

The topic of suicide is an important one for sociologists, even more than psychologists, because, in sociology, the principal tenet of the discipline is that behaviour is essentially the product of factors external to the individual. These factors, which ultimately shape the personae, exercise constraint on their behaviour because man is a social product.

One of the founding fathers of Western sociology, Emile Durkheim, did perhaps the first empirical study in the discipline. Published in 1897, this earth-shaking work, Suicide, is still relevant today.

The simple lesson to be learned from our suicide data is that an individual is not an island and, as we focus on our own goals and selfishness, there is great wisdom in the maxim, ‘I am my brother’s keeper’.

Pay attention, look at the signs, and be very careful of the feelings of others.

Orville Taylor is senior lecturer at Department of Sociology at The University of the West Indies, a radio talk-show host, and author of ‘Broken Promises, Hearts and Pockets’. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and tayloronblackline@hotmail.com.