By Trudy Simpson, Contributor
For 15-year-old Darron Bassaragh, a student at Central High in Clarendon, the world ended on March 10, 2001.
The tenth grader was found hanging from a tree shortly after telling a cousin that he was going to kill himself.
Youth Link was unable to contact Darron's father but other relatives and friends were in shock on hearing that he had killed himself.
"All now mi can't get over the shock yet," said Stephanie Roye, the common-law wife of Darron's cousin, Dennis Bassaragh. "From mi hear mi no eat."
Ms. Roye said that she had premonitions the previous Thursday when she dreamt that Darron's father was dead but she never expected that she was foreseeing the boy's death because he was "always in a cheerful mood".
"Mi never expect it from him. But like dem say, dream no walk straight."
Baffled as to his reason, she said, "Mi ask him father if him did have any problems and him say no. Ah wonder if ah some peer pressure or something do him."
Neither did his classmate, Taneisha Simpson. She could not believe that Darron, also called Max, was dead. "Ah true say him dead? Ah true?" she kept asking.
Knowing him, mi nevah know he would think of doing something like that. He's very friendly to everybody. He was very happy. He never let anything bother him."
THREE TEEN SUICIDES THIS YEAR
Darron, the youngest person to kill himself so far this year, is the third suicide among the 20 and under age group.
The other two were 17-year-old Phil Andrew who hung himself on February 12 and 20-year-old Nimrod Hill of Birmingham England, who stabbed himself on January 31.
Last year, at least 15 of 80 suicides in Jamaica were committed by young people under 25.
"Hanging is the most popular method used by suicide victims and in most cases depression and relationships turned sour are the reasons cited for suicide," a constable at the Constabulary Communications Network (CCN) reported in January.
Now, local experts are warning that caregivers must look out for small signs and act instead of disregarding them.
KNOW THE SIGNS -- YOU COULD SAVE A FRIEND
Phrases such as "I won't be a problem to you much longer", "Nothing matters", "I wish I was never born," and "Mi can't tek this no more", can signal the beginning of the battle between life and death.
Local healthcare officials are worried that more young people are beginning to see death as the only viable option, especially in light of heightened traumatic events such as suicides, gang wars and shootings.
Data shows that youth who experience extreme worry, fear, despair, guilt and anger were up to five times more likely to attempt suicide, especially if they were close to others who committed suicide.
Attempted suicide, researchers say, can be brought on by a number of factors -- some influenced by loneliness, redundancies, unemployment and increased poverty, which put pressure on unemployed youth and parents.
The worry, hopelessness and depression strain family relationships, cut off communication and is one reason why many Jamaican parents take their frustrations out on children, research shows.
In addition, young people face added pressure in school where many have problems with reading and other subjects or with the "unofficial curriculum" which includes acts which constitute violence.
When results for Math, English and the like take precedence, some students also try to kill themselves rather than face bad results.
STATISTICS SHOW THAT ...
One local study entitled "Suicide in Adolescents" reports that between 1996 and 1998 the rate of attempted suicides among young people jumped 95 per cent. For that year, police reported that one in three was attributed to adolescents and youth.
Currently, the World Health Organisation estimates that at least 100,000 adolescents commit suicide each year.
The Caribbean School Health Survey 1996, which interviewed children as young as 10 years old, brings it closer to home because one in 10 young people in the Jamaican sample, reported attempting suicide and three out every 100 said that had tried more than once.
"What they are saying is that 'it's hard for me to tell you these things because it's painful so I make outward signs -- you can't see the pain inside but you can see that I take drugs, that I cut myself, I sought a way of bringing attention to the pain inside," said Dr. Diana Birch from the English-based Youth Support early last year.
"Some persons express hurt by trying to damage themselves," Dr. Birch continued, adding that the causes of hurt can also range from a person's resentment against parents to that person being mentally or physically abused.
But there are ways to reduce sucicide attempts. Parents and Guardians, must watch for and communicate with their children if they see these warning signs -- defiance, dishonesty, open 'don't care' attitude, open discussions of lack of pleasure in life or reason to live, signs of depression, withdrawal from friends, social groups or regular activities, neglecting of appearance, gives away cherished possessions, drug and alcohol abuse and intolerance for praise or rewards.
"It takes more courage to stay and face your problems and figure things out than it does to commit suicide. (Also) you are leaving the others to cope with the problems that they had in the first place along with your suicide," Dr. Birch said.
