ROAD TOWN, Tortola, British Virgin Islands — Independent At-Large candidate Rosemary Rosan is calling on the Virgin Islands community to demonstrate greater compassion and respect for privacy following the circulation of a video reportedly capturing a young woman experiencing a mental health crisis.
In a press statement issued under the headline “Mental Health Is Not a Spectator Sport,” Rosan urged residents to reconsider how they respond to individuals experiencing mental health challenges, warning against the public sharing and ridicule of people during their most vulnerable moments.
“Behind that video is a human being. A daughter. A sister. A friend. Someone who deserves dignity, compassion, privacy and care,” Rosan said.
She stressed that a mental health crisis should never be treated as entertainment or an opportunity for public judgment.
“A mental health crisis is not entertainment. It is not an opportunity for ridicule, commentary or public judgment. It is a moment when someone may be in desperate need of help.”
Rosan said the community’s first instinct should be to offer assistance rather than reach for a phone to record, share or comment on an individual’s distress.
The candidate also highlighted what she described as a persistent culture of stigma, discomfort and silence surrounding mental health in the Virgin Islands.
She argued that people cannot be encouraged to seek professional help while simultaneously being exposed to public ridicule when they experience a crisis.
“Let me be clear: mental health challenges are not a measure of a person’s character, intelligence or worth,” she stated.
However, Rosan said the issue extends beyond individual behaviour and requires a serious examination of the Territory’s mental health support systems and institutional preparedness.
Among the questions she raised were whether mental health services are sufficiently accessible, whether emergency responders are adequately trained in de-escalation and crisis management, and whether families and caregivers receive the support they need.
She also questioned the adequacy of community-based services, follow-up care and safe pathways for individuals experiencing mental health challenges.
“These are not questions we should ask only after a troubling incident. They are questions that demand serious attention, investment and action,” Rosan said.
As an Independent At-Large candidate for the House of Assembly, Rosan said she believes mental health must be recognized as an essential component of public health.
She called for improved access to professional care, greater investment in early intervention, support for families and caregivers, better crisis response and education aimed at reducing stigma, particularly among young people.
Rosan said the Territory must address both the public’s response to mental health crises and the broader systems intended to support those affected.
“We cannot simply condemn those who circulate these videos and then ignore the broader conditions that leave people struggling.
“We must change both our culture and our systems.”
Directing a message to the young woman at the centre of the incident and others who may be struggling privately, Rosan emphasized that individuals experiencing mental health challenges deserve dignity and support.
“You are not your worst moment,” she said.
She urged residents to think before sharing sensitive videos, speak before judging and demonstrate compassion before criticism.
“The measure of our society is not how we treat people when they are at their strongest, but how we treat them when they are at their most vulnerable.”
Rosan concluded by calling for a Virgin Islands where individuals experiencing mental health crises are met with compassion, appropriate care and meaningful support rather than public humiliation.
“Let us choose compassion. Let us protect one another’s dignity. And let us build a Virgin Islands where no one has to face a mental health crisis alone.”