EXPERT: We must combat deep levels of stress

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

A LEADING psychiatrist says the two apparent suicides at the weekend indicate “deep levels of stress” exist in the country and research is needed to combat it.

Dr David Allen dubbed the deaths “very serious” and said yesterday he had just completed his own study that will look into how suicide can be reduced.

On Friday 31-year-old Jamal Kemp reportedly shot himself in the head inside his home off Ferguson Road.

Around 11pm, 35-year-old Shante Gibson was

discovered hanging from the door of her bedroom with a white rope tied around her neck.

Dr Allen said: “One suicide is a micro-cause of the whole country, and to have two in one weekend, it really hits me hard. I could hardly sleep the whole weekend.

“But I’ve been working on a whole new research study because we have to study that. This is very serious. You can’t build a country and have suicides of young people - you just can’t. It speaks so harshly to us.”

He said his new study shows how incidents of suicide can be minimised.

“It’s very fascinating,” he said. “This is one of the first processes in the world which actually shows statistically, scientifically, quantitatively, that we can reduce anger, we can reduce suicide ideation, we can reduce revenge, we can reduce shame, and increase self-esteem.”

The country needs to do “some new things,” Dr Allen said, and there is a need for “evidence-based” programmes.

“The country is moving into a very complex stage, and we need to move to more scientific understanding of what’s going on,” he said.

“These suicides are serious because in both cases they seem to be people who were doing quite well, but are stressed. So it indicates there’s a deep, deep level of stress in our country.”

At the scene of the first incident, police inspector Chrislyn Skippings pleaded with any members of the public who may be going through a stressful time to seek help.

“We have the community counselling assessment centre, we have the crisis centre, you have pastors, you have guidance counsellors, you have family members, there may be other persons in society who you look up to who can provide you with the needed advice that can help you through this time.”

Comments

TalRussell says...

My Dear Comrade Dr David "all" suicides carry the same seriousness.They all have decided that life is too unbearable to even continue living for just one more hour.

i sure as hell hope your study has placed Gambling Addiction at the top of your list, about why their reasoning becomes distorted enough, to lead them to wanting to kill themselves? To end it all? Some do and many more continue to live in an unbearable pain of hell?

The PLP government rushed through the numbers "bosses" thing and if you want to know how serious the PLP was about providing assistance to Bahamians who will become addicted to gambling, I done have your answers. About the same investment them red shirts regime put into helping the thousand who over many years have been addicted to playing the numbers. About the same amount of funds they spend to have at least try to have reduced the growing number of Bahamians, young and old, who kill themselves every single year across our Bahamaland? Little to nothing is spent on suicide prevention.

Comrades there will be more new faces added to Bahamaland's Suicide Wall. The dead will come from all income groups. Some may be close to you and I and we don't even have a clue they are addicted to gambling?

http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2013…

Posted 19 February 2013, 12:31 p.m. Suggest removal

jackflash says...

TAL,

Move On, this issue was swept under the rug - done - finished, no more....

We are now dealing with cutting education by 10% this year and 25% next year.

Get back on track here Tal, the numbers thing done dead - swept under the rug!

Posted 19 February 2013, 3:49 p.m. Suggest removal

Comrade Jackflash seems to many Bahamians like the PLP government has become one big disappointment, one after another. If the truth be told they need buy a bigger rug if they really want sweep under they gambling blunder thing, NIB mess and secret bonuses, the still missing 9,000 jobs they bragged of creating within their first year in office. What about forgetting to put "fresh-face" Bahamians in leadership roles and who they would appoint when they got around to government job appointments?

Comrades how can you have possibly miss the aged wrinkles on the faces of lots them PLP's appointed to cushy government jobs and postings abroad. Remember that thing about putting young people first?

I tell you what them promises have amounted to. One big load of PLP crap.

Posted 19 February 2013, 5:09 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

Over 1 million suicides are comitted worldwide annualy. While in Northern America, Canada and the cold countries suicides are most common during the heart of winter (January, February, March). Here in the Bahamas suicides are more common around this time but experts say is is because of the holiday season passing and persons getting that feeling of depression, lonliness orgoing from a spirit filled, festive season to one with little or no activity.
What Dr. Allen is saying is that the victims of the two most recent suicides did not show signs of depression or hopelessness but in these instances seems was stress was the factor.

Posted 19 February 2013, 7:28 p.m. Suggest removal