Minister Says ‘All Society’ Approach Needed to Deal with Mental Health

To effectively deal with mental health, an “all society” approach is needed, as ignorance poses the biggest hindrance to wellness, says Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton.

The Minister, who was addressing the opening ceremony for the National Mental Health Conference held today (October 10) at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston, said with improved understanding, more affected individuals will seek help.

“No single group, or subgroup can address what is the greatest health challenge in society today. By all statistics, our mental state, our state of mind has been challenged for many reasons,” he told the gathering.

The two-day event is being held under the theme ‘Mental Health and Human Rights: Using the past to direct the future’.

Dr. Tufton said that in managing mental health, there are not only traditional challenges but also “the new and emerging challenges”.

He said stigma and ignorance stand in the way of treating the illness, and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic increased the number of persons affected by mental challenges.

The Minister pointed out that prior to the virus, four out of every 10 persons experienced the illness, and it moved to six of every 10 individuals.

Recently, the Ministry established for persons experiencing stress, anxiety and other mental health challenges, the Problem Management Plus (PM+), to access support within their communities.

The Ministry’s Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Helpline, 888-NEW-LIFE (888-639-5433), can also be accessed for support.

The programme, which is among several Government initiatives to serve persons with mental health issues, engages faith-based and community leaders to assist people to cope with distress resulting from the death of family/friends, financial loss, experience with violence, natural disasters, among other adversities.