Mental health challenges have surged in the Caribbean in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Barbados reporting a 100 per cent increase in individuals seeking psychological and mental health services, says Chief Medical Officer The Most Honourable Dr Kenneth George.
“Across the region, there have been notable rises in persons experiencing mental health conditions, especially among young people, with many individuals experiencing heightened levels of anxiety, depression and stress,” George said recently during the media launch for the upcoming 69th Caribbean Public Health Agency’s (CARPHA) Annual Health Research Conference, themed Mental Health: The Hidden Pandemic, at the Ministry of Health, Culloden Road, St Michael.
“In Barbados, for example, there has been a 100 per cent increase in the number of individuals seeking psychological and mental health services during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.”
George noted that “neurocognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, affect more than 50 per cent of individuals in the elderly population by the age of 80 and this percentage increases significantly as they grow older, reaching upwards of 70 per cent by the age of 85”.
This trend will be the focus of the upcoming conference set to be hosted in Barbados for the first time since 2013.
Newly-appointed executive director of CARPHA Dr Lisa Indar spoke of the far-reaching impact of mental health issues.
“Mental health touches each and every one of us, whether personally, or through our loved ones, or within our communities. It impacts on how people relate to each other, make decisions and handle stress,” she said. “People’s ability to live fulfilling lives often depends on their mental health.”
In response to these challenges, Barbados has implemented several initiatives, including a mental health hotline and expanded child guidance services.
“These initiatives have proven successful in addressing some of the immediate needs in the community, but so much more needs to be done,” George said.
“The scars of the COVID-19 pandemic will be with us for a long time, and it is essential that we continue to expand and promote mental health services across the region.”
The conference will provide a platform for addressing these concerns through a comprehensive programme featuring 83 oral
and 86 poster presentations.
“This conference promises an exciting and stimulating agenda,” Indar said.
She explained that there would be “a special panel discussion and feature lecture on mental health on day one of the conference, as well as a special session on the pandemic fund and other infectious diseases”.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Wayne Marshall, speaking on behalf of Minister of Health, The Most Honourable Senator Dr Jerome Walcott, said the conference would foster collaborations to address these challenges.
“The conference’s sessions are expected to delve into various aspects of public health, with presentations on family health, infectious diseases such as vector-borne diseases, and more,” he said.
The event “will serve as a forum for establishing mentorships, partnerships, and collaborations that will strengthen the capacity of researchers”.
A distinctive feature of this year’s conference is its focus on engaging young people in discussions around mental health.
“A challenge with young people is that from an adolescence perspective, we need to be teaching how we reach them. We are not going to reach them through our clinics or the olden methods. We have to meet them where they are and understand their communities to deliver appropriate health care,” George said. (DS)
