WILLEMSTAD – The Dutch Caribbean Mental Health Federation (DCMH) brought together mental health professionals, experts and community representatives in Curaçao for a regional seminar aimed at strengthening suicide prevention throughout the Caribbean.
The seminar, held at the University of Curaçao Dr. Moises da Costa Gomez in connection with World Suicide Prevention Day, was organized under the theme “Together in Prevention, Together in Hope.”
A total of 122 people attended the event in person, while participants from other islands and beyond joined the morning program through a livestream.
The seminar focused on exchanging knowledge, raising awareness and strengthening cooperation on suicide prevention within the Caribbean context.
During the first part of the program, experts addressed suicide prevention from both global and local perspectives. Discussions also examined youth mental health in Caribbean communities and presented key findings from the “Regiobeeld GGZ CAS-BES 2025,” which examines mental healthcare across the Dutch Caribbean islands.
The afternoon shifted from theory to practical approaches. Interactive workshops addressed vulnerable and at-risk groups, suicide prevention in schools and introductory training on recognizing and responding to suicide risk.
Families and loved ones who had lost someone to suicide also shared their experiences. They reflected on warning signs they recognized afterward and discussed how earlier recognition and intervention could potentially help others facing similar situations.
The closing panel focused specifically on the challenges of suicide prevention in small island communities. Participants discussed stigma surrounding mental health, cultural barriers, the role of families and the importance of interventions designed around individual communities.
According to DCMH, effective suicide prevention requires continuous attention rather than action only after a tragedy occurs. This includes creating an environment in which people can speak openly about mental health, recognizing warning signs early and ensuring residents know where they can seek professional assistance.
The central message emerging from the seminar was that suicide prevention cannot be the responsibility of the healthcare sector alone.
DCMH emphasized that families, friends, schools, healthcare professionals, social organizations and government all have a role to play in identifying vulnerability, offering support and connecting people with appropriate assistance.
By bringing representatives from across the region together in Curaçao, the federation hopes to strengthen a coordinated Caribbean approach in which knowledge and practical experience can be shared among the islands.