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| Nurse Meredith Amory Field of the Psychiatric Unit on Nevis |
CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (May 12, 2006) -- The Ministry of Health on Nevis in collaboration with the Psychiatric Unit will hold a two day mental health workshop under the theme "Mental Health: Its Impact on the Individual and Society".
The May 16-17th workshop which would be held at the Red Cross Conference Room in Charlestown, will be facilitated by Dr Ermine Belle, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist in Barbados, She will give an overview of Mental Health: Global and Regional Perspective while Mrs Eren Weekes Hanley M. A. Psychology, will speak on the topic Psychosocial/Sociocultural Issues in Mental Health.
According to Nurse Meredith Amory Field (Psychiatric) during an interview on Friday May 12, 2006, the workshop, the first of its kind held on Nevis, would allow participants to better understand mental health issues and also to encourage positive community involvement for the mentally ill.
"The goal of the workshop are to attain a better understanding of mental health issues; to disseminate information aimed at improving the status of mental health in Nevis; to reduce the stigma associated with mental wellness and illness and to encourage positive community involvement in every aspect of care for the mentally ill and significant others that is the family, their employers everybody," she said.
She noted that mental health had been placed on the back burner worldwide but lauded the interest given to the issue by the Ministry of Health.
"Mental health is seen as a negative thing not to be accepted in society so we decided to have a workshop and the goal of the workshop is to sensitise persons of the impact on the total person if mental health is not addressed.
I must say that the Ministry of Health has taken an interest in Mental Health and there has been a marked improvement and Mr Kingsley Elliot the Health Service Administrator has been working feverishly to assist us in bringing Mental Health to the fore," she said.
Ms Amory Fields said that so far there has been a keen interest in the workshop and participants have been selected from a number of interest groups in the community including health care workers, police, teachers, counsellors, church groups, organisers, lawyers and personnel from the Nevis Air and Sea Ports Authority.
She is hopeful that at the end of the workshop participants would return to the community and spread the word so that persons "would help us to treat persons affected with mental illness".
During the opening ceremony, Hon Jean Harris Minister of Health is expected to deliver the feature address and Premier of Nevis Hon Vance Amory is expected to give remarks.
