Local media entities have reported on at least four cases of suspected suicide in as many weeks, resulting in a warning from consultant psychiatrist Dr Saphire Longmore that the sensationalisation of such cases in the headlines can result in copycat behaviour.

Dr Longmore pointed to a research article in public health publication CDC Stacks, which listed recommendations for reporting on suicide. The article stated that more than 50 studies worldwide have found that certain types of news coverage can increase the likelihood of suicide in vulnerable individuals.

“Research has shown that in the United Kingdom and the United States, there is a defect where there is a copycat phenomenon that can happen, especially with the sensationalisation of the method of how a person commits the act, unfortunately. What is of significance is the non-portrayal of the victim in a glorified way or in a way of martyrdom.

“We should always have information and help; always have that other side to it that offers hope and offers help to individuals; and always show respect for the family, the loved ones, and the community generally. We need to recognise that people are dealing with a lot of trauma otherwise, so trying to see how you can present the story in a way that does not add to the trauma of the individual, as best as possible, is important.

“The words that are used, the descriptions, the details can also be helpful and, putting it blatantly, that this is not how persons are encouraged to deal with stresses and letting it be known that there is help out there, and the media can be a source of that,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Dr Longmore said she felt particularly moved to speak on the topic after recent reports about suicide cases in Jamaica received pushback from the public about the way they were reported on in the media. Most notably, she said, was the case of 26-year-old Tyra Spaulding, a former contestant of Miss Universe Jamaica, who was found dead at her home on September 23. The police are probing her death as a case of suspected suicide.

Spaulding is among four people said to have died by suicide within a month. On September 12, it was reported that 13-year-old Twaine Skyers of Lilliput, St James, died by suicide. A week later, on September 21, a similar report stated that 16-year-old Jhamar Surgeon died in a case of suspected suicide in Stettin district, Trelawny. It was also reported on September 30 that Jamaica parish court judge Ruth Lawrence was discovered unresponsive at her Coral Spring, Trelawny. The police are currently treating Lawrence’s case as a suspected suicide.

In reference to the cases, Longmore said whether or not there is a local impact on the reporting of suicide cases leading to copycat behaviour “is yet to be known and, perhaps, something to be looked into, but the fact is that there might be some appeal of ‘notoriety’ in a kind of twisted way that this is the exit. That stems especially when someone doesn’t have a purpose in the now, which is what we need to work on — helping people — and that’s what the media can help with in terms of shifting the focus to being what the individual’s purpose might be, and reasons to remain to be around.”

A former president of the Jamaica Psychiatric Association (JPA), Longmore said the group has resources that speak to how matters of suicide should be reported. She added that the World Health Organization (WHO) also has guidelines for media houses and urged individuals engaged in the dissemination of information on current affairs and mental health to review the guidelines.

The 2023 WHO Preventing Suicide: A Resource for Media Professionals encourages media professionals to always provide accurate information about where to seek help, report stories of how people cope with life stressors or suicidal thoughts, and emphasise importance of help-seeking, educate the public with accurate facts about suicide and suicide prevention, and be compassionate when interviewing bereaved family members, friends, or people with lived experience.

The report urged against the explicit descriptions of the method used, details about the site or location, graphic images, video footage, or audio recordings of the method or location, and the sensationalisation of headlines.

Between January and September 2025, a total of 44 suicides were recorded in Jamaica, a 16.9 per cent drop compared to the 53 cases recorded for the same period last year.

A total of 67 suicide deaths were reported last year, one more than the 66 reported in 2023. In 2022, the number was 63; the prior year, 50 such deaths were reported. In 2020, the number was 43, while in 2019, there were 58. Last year’s figure was the highest the country has seen since the year 2000, when 77 cases were reported, followed by 75 cases in 2001.

Individuals struggling with suicidal thoughts or their mental health are encouraged to contact the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Helpline at 888-639-5433.