When the bell rang, William shouted, his voice lost in the crowd. That evening, the Greenlandic teenager was boxing in memory of his mother, who took her own life two years ago.

Suicide is a leading cause of premature death in Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark that has one of the highest suicide rates globally.

Some Greenlanders refer to the situation as an "epidemic," primarily affecting teenagers and young adults.

The crowd urged, "Come on, crush him!" as the scent of sweat filled the air beneath the Arctic island's flag hanging over the boxing ring.

William, 15, evaded the punches of his Danish opponent until he was struck by a straight punch and fell into the referee's arms.

"I was devastated," he told AFP a few days later from his home in Nuuk, the capital. "On the morning of the match, I woke up crying, thinking of her. I promised her I would win."

William's eyes occasionally drifted to a picture of his smiling mother, Mette, displayed prominently on the wall.

The former Danish colony grapples with various social issues, including drug and alcohol dependency and social inequality.

During a significant urbanization effort in the 1970s, hundreds of Inuit families were relocated from their villages into apartment complexes in larger towns. This disruption of Inuit culture, which is deeply connected to the land and communal living, led to feelings of dislocation and loss of identity, according to experts.

Medical research published in The Lancet indicates that this displacement created lasting trauma, leading to a spike in suicide rates during the 1980s.

Young Greenlanders continue to experience the repercussions of past traumas, a phenomenon termed intergenerational transmission, as highlighted in a study in the International Journal of Circumpolar Health.

Moreover, access to mental health resources remains severely limited.

'Relief'

Following his mother's suicide, William initially turned to alcohol and drugs, while his brother Kian, now 19, sought a different form of release through boxing to "clear his head." For them, boxing became an escape, allowing them to meet "positive people" and honor their mother, a former martial arts champion in Greenland.

Mette, originally from northern Greenland, was placed in an orphanage in Nuuk as her parents could not care for her. A collection of her gold medals lay scattered on their coffee table.

"When we were younger, we used to use her medals as trophies. We lost a couple of them," William recalled. "I feel like I owe her medals."

In 2023, suicide represented 7.4 percent of deaths in Greenland, according to the same study in The Lancet.

"We all know at least one or two family members or friends who have committed suicide," Kian stated. "Or even more."

"Just recently, two of my friends took their own lives," William added.

In a gym in Nuuk, a group of young people pushed through their workouts under the guidance of their coach, 27-year-old former boxer Philippe Andersen.

"Discipline is key," he emphasized. "A couple of months leading up to the fight, there’s no drinking, no smoking, nothing fun."

Some of the youths may have experienced bullying, lost loved ones, or faced social challenges, but Andersen noted that they try not to dwell on these issues while boxing. "They often have something they're angry about," he said, adding that boxing provides them "relief from their daily lives."

As night falls and the gym empties, Nuuk's streets become alive with teenagers. It's not uncommon to see a solitary teen gazing out at the sea along the coast.

Behind them, rows of Soviet-style apartment buildings loom over the cliffs, remnants of Denmark's urbanization initiative in the 1970s. A light installation on the deteriorating façade of Block T pays tribute to the victims of suicide.

Limited Help

Despite the urgent need for psychological support, isolation in small communities, along with a shortage of Kalaallisut-speaking professionals, significantly hampers access to care. Most consultations occur online.

However, in recent years, authorities have strengthened helplines and begun decentralizing the training of mental health professionals to enhance access to care.

Originally from Qaqortoq in southern Greenland, the brothers' family moved to the capital ten years ago in search of a better life. This summer, William plans to relocate to Denmark to continue his studies, leaving behind his friends and older brother.

"It's very hard," he admitted.

Encouraged by his coaches, Kian expressed hopes of joining William and trying out for Denmark's national boxing team—a way for him to "move on."