The life of former Miss Jamaica Universe contestant Tyra Spaulding will be celebrated on Saturday, October 25, in Jamaica. Spaulding tragically died by suicide on September 23. Her lifeless body was found hanging in her apartment in Kingston. She was just 26 years old.
Spaulding’s death, which was covered internationally by People’s Magazine in the United States, NDTV (Indian news network), Vibe Magazine (U.S. entertainment & culture magazine), Black Enterprise, US Weekly, and Yahoo News, has sparked conversations about suicide in Jamaica and the diaspora.
“This conversation needs to continue to increase all Jamaicans’ awareness that we are all vulnerable,” New York-based Vassell George O’Gilvie, Psychotherapist and NYCPG-approved clinician, told Caribbean National Weekly.
The 12-year-old Jamaican/Canadian singer Jazmin Headley, who has been capturing attention with her powerful voice – most recently in a song featuring Richie Stephens and Bounty Killer – her acting skills and maturity will deliver a heartfelt tribute to Tyra at the funeral.
“My hope is to bring some comfort to the family through music, which has the power to heal. I may be just 12 years old, but I understand the importance of celebrating Tyra’s life,” Headley shared.
O’Gilvie informed that the World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that death by suicide is the third leading cause of death amongst 15-29 year olds in 2021.
“More than 720,000 people die due to suicide every year. Seventy-three per cent of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries, and the reasons are multifactorial, social, cultural, biological, psychological, and environmental factors present across the lifespan.”
On September 28, 2025, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) published data regarding death by suicide in Jamaica over the last six years: 2019 – 58 deaths; 2020 – 43; 2021 – 50; 2022 – 63; 2023 – 66; 2024 – 67, and up to September 2025 – 44.
There were eight deaths by suicide in July 2025 alone. The JCF said this represents an increase of 33% for that month in 2024. August and September also had incremental increases of 20% and 25% respectively.
“Common factors that can cause suicide include depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, and other mental health disorders, ” O’Gilvie shared. “These mental health issues can distort someone’s thinking and make them feel vulnerable, hopeless, and out of sorts. Some other pertinent factors are life stressors and crises, job losses, termination of a relationship, or other breakups that might cause partners to feel abandonment. Financial burden can trigger these unhealthy feelings and subsequent behaviors.”
O’Gilvie informed that social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are ways that those at risk of committing suicide typically cry out for help.
“The public needs to increase their awareness of these social media platforms to get people help when this is viewed,” he reiterated.
“Suicide is a serious public health problem that requires a public health response. The government of Jamaica must consider this a serious health threat. They can then prioritize access to treatment in order for their citizens,” he noted.
