The GOJ, through the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) intends, to focus on destigmatising mental illness. This is one of the priority programmes of the Ministry, in keeping with its mandate to ensure ongoing development of community mental health services and provide equitable, integrated and comprehensive care for persons with these kinds of illnesses.
As part of this, the mental health services at the Bellevue Hospital in Kingston will be upgraded. Some of these improvements will be the:
• Development and distribution of guidelines for the management of psychiatric emergencies
• Purchase of standardised restraints for use in hospitals and for emergencies in communities
• Purchase of buses for transporting persons being treated between the community and the hospital, as necessary
Another part of the Ministry’s focus is the creation of a mental health handbook, which will be released in 2022.
Additionally, the “Speak Up, Speak Now” MOHW campaign will form part of these efforts. This campaign encourages Jamaicans to speak freely about mental illness and educates the public about mental health.
For further information, contact:
Mental Health Unit
Ministry of Health and Wellness
10-16 Grenada Crescent
Kingston 5
Telephone: 876-633-7433/8172
Mental Health Helpline: 888-669-5433
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Helpline: 888 NEW LIFE (639-5433)
Email: pr@moh.gov.jm
Mental Health Webpage: www.moh.gov.jm/mental-health
