KINGSTON, Jamaica – Armed with nothing more than determination and a phone, Nowell Lewin Jr is building a movement to break Jamaica’s silence on mental health challenges and suicide.

The 23-year-old law student and farmer is the founder and executive director of the Global Integration Society, a youth-led mental health advocacy group that is working to break the stigma surrounding mental illness in Jamaica.

“People are more comfortable talking to somebody their own age,” said Lewin.

“When young people go to parents or older relatives, they’re often told, ‘you don’t have stress, you’re not paying bills.’ That’s why they come to us.”

The non-profit organisation, though still small, runs campaigns primarily on social media.

During September’s Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, the group launched an online initiative sharing tips and advice.

The response has been overwhelming, Wayne said, with young Jamaicans privately messaging to share their struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts.

While the group does not yet provide professional counselling, it connects people with resources such as the national suicide prevention hotline and other mental health organisations to get the necessary help. Plans are underway to expand services, recruit trained counsellors, and eventually open a physical location.

But stigma, Wayne argues, remains the single biggest barrier.

“Bellevue Hospital is seen as a place for ‘mad people,’” he said. “Even though they’ve done good work to change that image, people are still hesitant. We need to rebrand mental health care in Jamaica so people know it’s also for stress, exhaustion, and early signs of depression.”

He also sees gaps in the education system, where overburdened counsellors are unable to meet the demand.

Lewin believes peer counsellors could be better trained to spot warning signs and support classmates. He is also calling for teachers and parents to be sensitised to mental health issues.

“A lot of parents in Jamaica because of our culture some of them don’t  recognise that mental health issues should be prioritised because they have the mindset that because the child is not paying any bills and they’re providing all th resources they need for school or the clothes that they wear, they tend to turn a blind eye. So even if they don’t know the signs or they know them they ignore them. So we need to sensitise our teachers and out parents to look out for warning signs when it comes on to mental health [challenges],” he argued.

Lewin’s passion for advocacy was sparked in 2020, after attending a United Nations conference in New York just before the COVID 19 pandemic hit when an organiser of the conference challenged attendees to use what they learnt to help others.

Returning home to lockdowns, online school, and mounting stress, he realised how deeply mental health struggles were affecting him and his peers.

“It was very stressful because I was studying law in six form. Studying law that you hear seh will mad you and being at home unable to come out was really stressful. I realised it brought out some emotions… I felt more emotional at that time because of the stress and I realised I’m not the only one going through it. It was a ocnversation in my sociology class and I realised other students were stressed. I start doing some research because where I’m from we don’t talk about mental health especially as a male,” he said.

Now leading a small team of five, he envisions expanding the Global Integration Society to address the roots of mental health struggles.

Despite the challenges, Lewin remains determined. His message to young people is simple,

“We are all valued, we are all loved, and strength is shown when you ask for help.”

The Global Integration Society can be reached on Instagram at @globalintegrationsociety or by email at globalintegrationsociety@gmail.com .

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