The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

With six suicides recorded in The Bahamas less than three months into the year, the growing crisis is reopening wounds for families already grappling with similar losses.

For the relatives of Chrishna Stubbs-Stuart, the pain is still raw a year after she jumped to her death from the Paradise Island bridge. Her aunt, Michelle Bethel-Gibson, said hearing of new suicides brings back painful memories and reminds her family of the ongoing need for mental health awareness.

Mrs Stubbs-Stuart, a mother of three, died on February 4, 2024. Police received an anonymous call about a distressed woman attempting to jump from the bridge. By the time officers arrived, she was gone, and a nearby vessel later pulled her unresponsive body from the water.

Her death left a deep void in her family. Many sought counselling to cope, and Mrs Bethel-Gibson said it served as a wake-up call to prioritise mental health and break the stigma surrounding it in Bahamian culture.

“You’re left to pick up the pieces,” she said. “It’s one thing for an accident or any other type of way, but when somebody takes their life by their own hands—just grappling with that, people have no frame of reference, no mindset of how to now move forward.”

Mrs Stubbs-Stuart’s three children, now 16, nine, and six, continue to navigate life without her. Her eldest son, who has diabetes, has struggled the most due to his deeper understanding of how she died. However, counselling and family support have helped.

Determined to honour her niece, Mrs Bethel-Gibson said her family is working to establish a mental health awareness foundation to support grieving families and those struggling with depression. She also called for improved access to counselling, affordable medication, and safe spaces for people in crisis.

Experts say the emotional toll on families left behind can be devastating.

Dr Wendy Fernander, clinical psychologist and president of the Bahamas Psychological Association, said suicide survivors often experience “prolonged grief”, which can leave their lives at a standstill. Many wrestle with depression and guilt, sometimes turning to alcohol to cope with haunting questions about whether they could have done more. She added that children who lose a parent to suicide face an increased risk of suicidal thoughts, though it does not mean they will act on them.

Renowned psychiatrist Dr David Allen, who has led group therapy for suicide survivors for years, said inconsistent counselling can make grief harder to process. He urged families to seek therapy to avoid becoming stuck in sadness, anger, or discouragement.