IT was not always this way.

Ten or 15 years ago or more, it was a shock to the community when people heard of a suicide or an attempted suicide.

It was such a rare occurrence that it was major news when such an incident happened.

It is not that suicide did not happen here – that is something that sadly affects the world over – but it certainly did not happen with such frequency.

Back then, it was shocking. Today, it is perhaps more shocking how commonplace it has become.

People in this country have been through a lot. As psychologist Dr Gregory Swann notes in today’s Tribune, the northern Bahamas bore the brunt of Hurricane Dorian. There was also COVID-19, and that has led to a rise in such cases. Worryingly, he notes, “the trend has not been stabilised”. Two recent attempts have underscored that situation.

So the question becomes what can we do?

Dr Swann’s advice is sound. He urges family and friends, if they fear someone might harm themselves, to ensure they are not left alone, and to try to get them professional help or in a safe place where they can be supported.

That leads to questions over whether there are adequate resources to meet the needs that our nation has. The answer is almost certainly not.

In 2017, psychologist Dr Mike Neville wrote about the subject, saying: “Suicide doesn’t kill people, sadness kills people.”

It is not the act itself, but the path that led the person to that act.

For a long time, there have been calls to make it easier for people to access mental health treatment.

As we wrote in this column in 2019: “Look around our streets and you’ll see many people who don’t have that access. The homeless, the desperate we see trying to get by through the day but who are paid attention to by too few. They have fewer options for finding their way out of their situation.”

Depression and mental illness do not respect anyone, they can strike any one of us. But we can try to help those affected. We can reach out to the neighbour we have not seen in a while. We can call the friend we have not spoken to. We can stay in touch, and we can listen when someone wants to talk.

Last year, Tribune columnist Alicia Wallace compiled some advice for those experiencing troubled times. They can be simple things when we are out of sorts, such as asking what we have eaten that day, are we hydrated, have we been outside, have we had enough sleep, have we had social interactions, are there things in our environment that are an issue, have we done exercise. We can do the same checklist with those we fear are experiencing depression to perhaps help find a change, a shift that can lift them out of their situation.

Then there are the professionals, such as the Bahamas Psychological Association. And there are the pastors in our churches, there to support and care.

The Bahamas Crisis Centre reported earlier this year a rise in young boys expressing suicidal thoughts.

Dr Sandra Dean-Patterson at the time said there needs to be a targeted approach to tackle the issue, and a willingness to discuss mental health.

The discussion has certainly begun – even if it is not as prevalent as it needs to be to reach those in need. But that word “willingness” is key. We know there is a problem. It has been a growing problem. So where do we go from here? That is the test – the test of how willing we are to tackle the issue, and the test of our ability to meet the challenge.