Positive steps being taken to address mental health issues in Jamaica – PAHO/WHO official

PAN AMERICAN Health Organization (PAHO) and World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Jamaica, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, Ian Stein, says positive steps are being taken to address mental health issues in Jamaica.

Speaking during a recent National Youth Mental Health Summit, hosted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) at the AC Hotel by Marriott Kingston, Stein pointed out that “for a very long time, it was taboo for any of us to admit struggling to cope with life’s challenges for fear of being ostracised or ridiculed”.

However, he said with mental-health issues becoming more prevalent in schools, workplaces and homes, “we’ve recognised that it is an enormous burden”.

“While we are taking steps forward to address these issues, we recognise also that we are in competition … [as] there’s a lot of things going on around us,” Stein added.

Limited resources

This competition, he said, stems from the limited resources that must be shared among other important priorities, such as heart disease, cancer and vaccine preventable diseases that are also affecting the health sector.

The PAHO/WHO representative noted that even though the COVID-19 pandemic affected all countries, it sparked some positive changes relating to how persons see and deal with mental health issues.

“COVID-19 has changed the lens [through which] we see mental health. It has, somehow, become a bit more acceptable for us to say ‘I’m not OK’, and that’s an important step forward,” he said.

Stein pointed out that while tremendous progress is being made where mental health and wellness is concerned, it remains a challenge as people still struggle to find support.

This, he added, results from some adults thinking that “because children and adolescents are not working full time, paying bills, or handling other similar responsibilities, they shouldn’t have this feeling of doubt or depression or difficulties in coping.”

Unprecedented levels of bullying

“Coupled with this are issues within the social media realm, such as unprecedented levels of bullying and comparing ourselves to some artificial abstract of what looks really good, which has resulted in persons experiencing anxiety, depression and low self-esteem,” he further stated.

In this regard, Stein commended the WHO for shedding light on the fact that one in seven 10-19 year-olds experience challenges of some kind relating to mental health.

“This is one of the most important issues facing youth now. So unfortunately, while we note these burdens, we also know that these burdens could lead to the fourth cause of death for children in this age group,” he said.

“Failing to address adolescent mental wellness has a long-lasting effect as it extends into adulthood, impacting our physical and mental wellbeing and restricts how we adapt and emerge as adults,” Stein added.

No health without good mental health

It is for this reason why PAHO and the WHO are pleased with the support they are able to provide to various partners, including the Ministry of Health and Wellness and UNICEF, to tackle this issue, he said.

“There is no health without good mental health; and so we recognise that each of us forms a tapestry together in our society and because of this, together all our voices matter. This time together is one important step to creating a safer space for us to have real honest conversations and break the [mental health] stigma,” Stein argued.

For her part, Director of Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr Judith Leiba, expressed gratitude for the collaborative support of PAHO, WHO, UNICEF, Digicel and Flow, toward tackling such a critical issue.

“The ministry has been very grateful for this collaboration because it has really bolstered our attempts to deal with mental health support for our children and adolescents. We really can’t do it without partners, and I just want to say thank you and that this is really a culmination of a dream that I’ve had for a long time,” she said.

Approximately 100 students, representing various high schools across the island, actively participated in discussions during the summit, and contributed to the dialogue regarding the mental health policy to be drafted.