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Take responsibility for your health – Grant

Published:Saturday | November 30, 2019 | 12:15 AMOlivia Brown/Gleaner Writer

The health and wellness of Clarendon men took centre stage arlier this week when nurse practitioners of the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) held its third Men’s Day Forum on the grounds of the old police station in May Pen.

Parish manager, Clarendon Health Services, Joseph Grant, said the event serves as reminder to men to hone their health and seek professional, medical help where necessary. He noted that good physical and mental health in men can yield personal and additional benefits. “If men take care of themselves, their families will be better cared for and, by extension, the environment and the society will be taken care of. We want to bring it to the men’s understanding that they must take responsibility for their health.”

Grant asserted that the parish is equipped with a professional team with great regard for healthcare, and as such, hosting the event and getting healthcare providers to offer their services is usually an easy task.

Karen Elliott, mental health nurse, said the event aims at bringing awareness to physical and mental health. She said, “Mental illness is not only about people on the streets, it is also about people in workplaces. Some persons are mentally ill, but they are functional.”

TREATING MEN

Elliott noted that her team has treated more men suffering from schizophrenia than women in the region, and believes that societal influences contribute to men being reluctant to seek counselling and mental health care.

Elliott told The Gleaner that the age group of mental health cases varies as the team has recorded depression cases in patients as young as eight years old. She said the SRHA has a mandate to provide support to various groups, including schools, noting that there is a great need for more professionals in the field. ”We have a mental health challenge in Jamaica and so we have a great need for more psychologists and social workers.”