Gaston Browne | Prioritising mental health: call to action for the Caribbean and beyond

We observed World Mental Health Day on October 10, and we have been reminded that mental-health challenges can touch many families and communities. For most people, mental-health care is about ensuring that those who suffer receive the treatment they need to lead as normal a life as possible — one where they can overcome their struggles and are no longer viewed as a threat to themselves or others but as accepted and valued members of society.

On a personal note, my sister and I experienced the stigma surrounding mental illness first-hand. Our late mother struggled with mental-health challenges for much of her life, and society’s reaction was often cruel. Yet we loved and cared for her, unashamed of her condition. We refused to let societal scorn define our relationship with her. Her struggles taught us resilience, compassion, and the power of love.

Mental illness, like any other health condition, demands kindness, understanding, and care. Yet in too many of our Caribbean societies, individuals facing mental-health challenges are met with apathy, stigma, and at times even hostility. This response only deepens their suffering and worsens their conditions, perpetuating a cycle of neglect and social exclusion.

The recent editorial by The Gleaner, calling for a CARICOM-led initiative on mental health, was visionary and necessary. Mental health is now a global crisis, and our region is not immune. In fact, the Caribbean has one of the highest rates of mental-health conditions in the world, with approximately 16 per cent of our population affected. The economic cost is staggering, amounting to billions of dollars in lost productivity globally — and likely hundreds of millions regionally. But beyond the economic toll is the untold emotional and societal cost to our families and communities.

The editorial was a timely reminder of how our Caribbean societies, including our governments, have failed to offer those with mental illness the dignity, care, and respect they deserve. I applaud The Gleaner for sounding the alarm and for appealing to our collective conscience. The call for a CARICOM Summit on Mental Health is one that I fully endorse, and I am personally committed to leading efforts to make mental health a regional and global priority.

GREATEST BARRIERS

One of the greatest barriers to mental-health care is stigma. Too often, mental illness is treated as a personal failing rather than a medical condition. Public-education campaigns must aim to dismantle this stigma and replace it with empathy, understanding, and inclusion. Every individual with a mental-health condition deserves love, support, and timely interventions — just as those with physical illnesses do.

In Antigua and Barbuda, my Government is taking concrete steps to close the gaps in mental-health care. We recognise that mental-health care must be an integral part of our national health-and-wellness programmes. Therefore, we are investing $8 million in a new mental-health facility, with plans to invest a further $10 million to ensure that it provides first-class care. That care will include not only medication, but also therapeutic interventions, lifestyle changes focusing on diet, exercise, and substance-abuse management. We also plan to include a farm that will serve both as therapy and as a source of sustainable food production.

Regionally, we have advanced discussions with CARICOM Heads of Government to host a Summit on Mental Health. We have also engaged the World Health Organization (WHO) to prioritize mental health as a standalone issue rather than an adjunct to other health conditions. I am pleased to say that Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of WHO, has agreed to establish a high-level dialogue on mental health at the next UN General Assembly. Furthermore, Antigua and Barbuda will introduce a mental- health resolution at the UNGA, with the support of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

Globally, the conversation about mental health is evolving, but it must translate into action. We have a responsibility as leaders, as citizens, and as human beings to care for the most vulnerable among us. As Mahatma Gandhi observed: “The true measures of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.” In other words, how a society treats its most vulnerable is the defining measure of its humanity.

Let us commit to working together — locally, regionally, and internationally — to build societies where mental-health care is not a luxury but a priority. Together, we can empower individuals with mental-health challenges to lead productive, fulfilling lives and contribute to the development of our nations.

The time to act is now.

Gaston Browne is the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.