Suicide & challenge of dealing with examination failure.

After every written session, she narrated that the pressure she felt at home deepened and gradually separated her from friends and siblings who appeared to be moving forward with their lives. She said by the sixth failure, the disappointment had become unbearable. 

“I watched my siblings pass and leave me behind. My parents were throwing insults, and I lost all my friends just because I couldn’t make it to the next level,” she recalled, tears running down her face.

What began as an academic disappointment eventually developed into a crisis that nearly cost her life. Josephine is one of many young people whose experiences point to the complex relationship between academic pressure, family expectations, stigma and mental health in the country. Today, she is grateful for having the chance to live life again.

 

Failure driving suicide 

Unlike Josephine who survived suicide after failing an exam, several others didn’t have a second chance.

According to reports, Arafat Mouhamad, an unsuccessful student of the 2026 session of the Brevet d’Etude du Premier Cycle, BEPC examinations, of the Francophone sub-system of education and student of Government Bilingual High School Koutaba in the Noun Division of the West Region died on Monday, July 6, 2026. 

Arafat is said to have collapsed after discovering he failed the exam. He was rushed to the hospital where medics declared him dead.

Similarly, the village of Bambi in Bafoussam, West Region was left in tear and consternation following the death of 18-year-old Carelle Ndatewo, a student at the Canada Technical High School in Bafoussam, for same reason. 

According to her relatives, the young girl reportedly took her life by ingesting a rat poison after failing her probatoire exam. 

Johanna Michelle Owona, 16, student at Montesquieu College in Yaounde, is also said to have committed suicide after failing the Probatoire.

There is also the case of 17-year-old, Samira Ismaël, a student at the Bilingual High School Garoua. She is said to ended her life by ingesting a toxic substance after failing the 2026 session of the General Certificate of Education, GCE Ordinary Level. 

Dealing with social time bomb

Experts say suicidal behaviour rarely has a single cause. Instead, it often emerges from a combination of psychological, social, economic and personal difficulties.

On World Suicide Prevention Day observe every year on September 10, the Association Camerounaise de Prévention et de Lutte contre le Suicide, ACPLS, reported having documented more than 2,333 cases, while also stressing that available national data remain incomplete.

According to a report from the Ministry of Public Health based on World Health Organisation, WHO, estimates, the country’s suicide rate increased from 4.9 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2012 to 12.2 per 100,000 in 2016, with reported rates of 17.1 among men and 7.4 among women. 

But behind every number is an individual story. Again 2021 data from World Bank and WHO reported that suicide mortality rate in Cameroon stands at 8.5 deaths per 100,000 populations.

The intervention saved her life

Looking back, Josephine said the experience changed the way she understands the pressures faced by young people. 

She said health workers advised her parents against placing excessive pressure on children when they encounter difficulties, stressing the importance of communication and support.

For Josephine, the lesson was clear: dialogue can be more helpful than insults, comparisons or punishment. 

“I regret my actions and I thank God for keeping me alive. My advice to parents and other young people facing similar situations is not to think of suicide as a solution but to instead privilege dialogue with a trusted person. Things can work out,” she said. 

When distress remains hidden

Mental health professionals say identifying distress early can make an important difference. Agatha Tonge Epie Musenja, a mental health nurse and specialist, identifies depression, stigma, bullying, low self-esteem and difficult social circumstances among factors that can increase vulnerability to suicidal behaviour.

“Depression is characterised by prolonged periods of sadness. These individuals isolate themselves and usually look very sad. They lose interest in the things that they would normally enjoy doing,” she explained.

Tonge cautions that suicidal distress does not always have an obvious appearance. Someone at risk may withdraw from others, repeatedly express hopelessness or make comments such as “I just want to kill myself”.

Others may appear unusually cheerful or behave as though everything is fine, making it difficult for friends and relatives to recognise what they are experiencing internally, the expert stated.

Families and friends, she advised, should pay attention to changes in behaviour, conversations, mood and social interaction.

Tonge explained that the songs someone listens to or the subjects they repeatedly discuss may also provide clues when considered alongside other changes. 

The focus she stated, should not be on interpreting a single behaviour as proof of suicidal intent, but on taking persistent signs of distress seriously.

“When somebody is identified as being at risk of wanting to commit suicide, you should create a safe space for that individual; remove all harmful objects from around the person. Thirdly, be open to listening to the person’s perspective and do not minimize what they are sharing with you,” Tonge said.

For her, prevention must begin long before a crisis reaches its most dangerous point. She argued that conversations about depression, suicidal thoughts and mental health should become more normal in homes, schools and communities.

“There is a need for educational workshops to be held so as to teach individuals how to have genuine and deep conversations with their acquaintances, children and relatives,” she said.

She also advocated greater access to counsellors in schools. “I would suggest that the same way we have teachers, there should be counsellors who are there to listen to them and give them strategic steps on how to deal with certain mental health issues”.

Breaking the silence

For the President of the Association Camerounaise de Prévention et de Lutte contre le Suicide, Dr Alain Bila, suicide cannot be attributed to one particular cause.

“Suicidal behaviours are generally associated with a combination of factors,” he said. These, Dr Bila said, may include psychological or emotional difficulties, family conflicts, violence, economic and social hardship, academic or professional setbacks, relationship breakdowns, traumatic experiences, and feelings of isolation and hopelessness.

According to Dr Bila, stigma remains one of the biggest barriers to prevention. People experiencing emotional distress may hesitate to seek assistance because they fear being judged, rejected or described as weak or mentally unstable, Dr Bila noted. 

He added that silence can prevent families, friends and professionals from recognising distress until it becomes an emergency.

“Our conviction is simple: suicide prevention begins with talking about it,” Dr Bila reiterated.

According to the ACPLS President, its work includes awareness campaigns, interventions in schools and communities, suicide-prevention gatekeeper training, and listening to and referring people experiencing distress to appropriate support services.

For Dr Bila, “suicide and suicidal behaviours affect people across all social groups and constitute a genuine public health concern”.

He explained that, Cameroon does not yet have a sufficiently integrated national system that provides comprehensive and updated data on suicide attempts and suicide deaths.

The lack of reliable data, he regretted, is compounded by stigma. Families, he said, may be reluctant to report suicide deaths, while some cases may not reach health facilities or official reporting systems.

Dr Bila noted that suicide prevention requires sustained investment in both human and institutional resources. He cited among the challenges the limited awareness of mental-health issues, stigma, shortages of professionals and specialised services in some areas and insufficient data.

ACPLS, he said, depends heavily on volunteers, members and partners. But he argued that a nationwide prevention strategy requires stronger and more sustainable institutional support.

He called for increased funding for mental-health and suicide-prevention programmes, greater training for healthcare professionals, teachers, social workers and community-based actors, and accessible systems for listening, referral and care.

Dr Bila advocated stronger prevention programmes in schools and universities, improved collection and analysis of suicide data, support for organisations working in the field, and regular nationwide awareness campaigns.

“Suicide prevention should be considered a public health priority requiring a coordinated and sustainable response,” Dr Bila said, while calling on families to listen more and judge less.

“When someone’s behaviour changes, when they withdraw from others, or when they express deep emotional distress, their words should be taken seriously and help should be sought,” he said.

Talking, Dr Bila said, “can help break isolation. Listening can help create a connection. Referring someone to appropriate support can contribute to saving a life”.

On World Suicide Prevention Day, the organization, he said organised awareness activities in Yaounde during which they trained over 30 suicide-prevention gatekeepers to recognise signs of distress and connect vulnerable people with appropriate sources of help.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3920 of Friday September 25, 2026