Government concerned at suicide rate among students

NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC):

The Bahamas government says a new study has found that one in five Bahamian students between the ages of 13 and 18 have attempted suicide.

Prime Minister Phillip Davis, speaking at the signing ceremony of a multi-million dollar loan agreement with China, described the 2025 Global School Health Survey as “staggering and heartbreaking.

“There is no single cause, but we know the pressures are real: the expectations, the silence, the bullying, the economic strain at home, and the ever-growing influence of social media,” Prime Minister Davis said, adding that the images, the comparisons, the pressure to be perfect, it’s too much.

“Our children are carrying burdens many of us can’t see, and, in some cases, can’t even begin to understand. This is not just a health issue. This is a moral issue. This is a national issue. It is a call to action for government, for parents, for teachers, for churches, for communities.”

The survey involved more than 2,000 Bahamian teenagers across 35 schools on eight islands.

Among its most concerning findings, the report found that one in four adolescents said they have contemplated suicide, while one in five said they have attempted it.

The report also found that while fewer teens are having sex compared to data collected in 1998, a larger percentage of those engaging in the activity are doing it unprotected.

The data shows that 34 per cent of teens surveyed were active drinkers, with binge drinking rising from two per cent in 1998 to 12 per cent. As it relates to other substances, 21.8 per cent of Bahamian teens reported using illegal drugs. Of them, more than half said they had their first exposure by the age of 13.

The survey also found that weapon carrying is a “growing practice”, with nearly one fifth of the teenagers surveyed reporting that they carry weapons.

The report also found that 7.7 per cent of teens admitted to being gang members.