Ashlyn Anderson's Book 'Reimagine Reframe Rise' Seeks To Address Mental Health Challenges

After counselling family and friends overwhelmed by personal challenges, Ashlyn Anderson noticed a disturbing trend among Jamaicans. Many of her countrymen are suffering from mental health problems.

Ashlyn Anderson (Contributed photo)It inspired her to write Reimagine Reframe Rise, her first book, which was released in 2025. It took the Clarendon parish native almost three years to complete a deeply personal work. 

"My first thought of writing a book came about from the nature of me always wanting to help others in need and always trying to contribute to society. Secondly, after seeing one of my friends suffering from a mental breakdown, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts," Anderson explained. "Also, there are other friends and family whom I realize had similar issues as we would spend hours on the phone helping each other with our situations," she added. "Then, there was a time when I experienced something that I thought would never affect me the way it did. I had to literally take 10 steps back, find myself again, release some things and some people, forgive intentionally so that I can be free and live my purpose."

Anderson --- who published Reimagine Reframe Rise --- recalled doing hours of research on mental health including detecting early signs of the disease, the importance of seeking professional treatment and dire consequences which includes suicide.

A commited Christian, she also discovered that persons of faith are not immune to depression. 

"Mental health illness can affect anyone, sometimes we either don't know it, or we mask it. Therefore, if you are not aware of the issues or the actions associated with mental health, then you will not be able to identify the actions of those brothers and sisters displaying some form of mental health issues, be it that we may enter the church with it or passing down stress on others," Anderson noted.

A World Health Organization study found that as many as 350 million have experienced some form of mental anguish. In Jamaica, research by the University of the West Indies revealed that 17 percent of the population of just under three million, have been affected by the condition.

A videographer, photographer and writer, Ashlyn Anderson lives in Trelawny parish.