A brand new nationwide examine has revealed a deeply troubling psychological well being disaster amongst Bahamian youth, with one in 5 college students between the ages of 13 and 18 reporting they’ve tried suicide, in keeping with the 2025 World Faculty Well being Survey.
Prime Minister Philip Davis described the findings as “staggering and heartbreaking” whereas addressing the difficulty on the signing of a significant healthcare settlement with China.
“There isn’t any single trigger, however we all know the pressures are actual: the expectations, the silence, the bullying, the financial pressure at house, and the ever-growing affect of social media,” Davis mentioned. “The photographs, the comparisons, the stress to be excellent — it’s an excessive amount of.”
He emphasised that Bahamian youngsters are “carrying burdens many people can’t see, and, in some circumstances, can’t even start to grasp,” calling it not solely a well being disaster but additionally “an ethical challenge, a nationwide challenge, a name to motion for presidency, for fogeys, for academics, for church buildings, for communities.”
The survey collected knowledge from greater than 2,000 college students throughout 35 colleges on eight islands, providing a sobering snapshot of the pressures dealing with adolescents.
Among the many key findings:
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25% of respondents mentioned they’ve contemplated suicide
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20% reported having tried suicide
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34% recognized as lively drinkers, with binge consuming rising from 2% in 1998 to 12%
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21.8% of teenagers reported utilizing unlawful medication, with greater than half saying their first publicity got here at age 13 or youthful
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Weapon carrying is on the rise, with almost 20% admitting to carrying weapons
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7.7% mentioned they’re gang members
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Whereas fewer teenagers are sexually lively than in 1998, a bigger share of those that are mentioned they interact in unprotected intercourse
The outcomes of the survey paint an image of rising emotional misery, dangerous habits, and elevated publicity to violence amongst Bahamian youth, prompting pressing requires coordinated intervention throughout all sectors of society.
