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| (L-R) Doctor Ermine Belle, Senior Consultant Psychologist in Barbados, Premier Hon Vance Amory, Hon Jean Harris Minister of Health, Mr St Clair Wallace Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health. |
CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (May 16, 2006) -- Minister of Health in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Hon Jean Harris said that education on the nature of mental illness would help to reduce the stigma associated with the disease.
Minister Harris was at the time delivering the feature address at the opening ceremony of a two-day workshop on Tuesday May 16, 2006, at the Red Cross Building in Charlestown hosted by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Psychiatric Unit. The theme of the workshop is "Mental Health: Its Impact on the Individual and Society".
The Minister explained that the Psychiatric Unit on Nevis had for the first time its own budget and plans were being revisited in view of constructing an eight bed unit and the services of a trained Psychologist were sought in order to assess some clients and the Lunacy Act for the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis was in the process of being repelled.
According to the Minister, statistics on Nevis indicate that there are a total of 206 registered mentally ill clients of which
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| A cross section of participants attending the workshop on mental health in Nevis. |
104 were female and 102 were male. In 2005, 20 new clients were added to the register which included four teenagers and one pre-teenager. Clients range in ages from eight years to 80 and come from all socioeconomic backgrounds and their diagnosis include depression, bipolar disorder, behavioural problems, anxiety disorders, somatization disorder, alcoholism, schizophrenia and poly substance abuse.
She said mental illness was an epidemic sweeping the world which ranged from mild to behavioural problems to as severe as schizophrenia and it knew no boundaries and affected all people regardless of age, culture, income or education.
Minister Harris said there were a number of myths which have led to misconceptions about mental illness that have prevented many persons from seeking help when they needed it most. "All of us can make a difference for the many people affected by mental illness," she said, adding that there were several messages for everyone.
"Reach out, don't be afraid to ask for help or ask how we can help. Signs of mental illness must not be treated lightly, not to be taken as a phrase that will go away with time. This message is for family, the person suffering alone, or all of us who know someone who is hurting. Get help early "early intervention and treatment for mental illness reduce long term suffering, disability, hospitalisation and suicide. Hope " improved treatments and community support offer increased hope for recovery. Respect differences "persons with mental illness and their families as diverse as the population they are people too," she said.
To family members Mrs. Harris said though they may find it difficult to accept that a family member has been diagnosed with depression or any other mental illness because of the stigma associated with the disease their relative needed their support most of the time.
"You need not withdraw but reach out positively to help them. This is not the time to abandon them but be part of their total care. So today and for the duration of the workshop, let us focus our attention on the information that would be given. Let us try to understand mental illness and what it really is so that all of us could move forward with renewed conviction that can make a difference in the lives of the mentally ill, thus reducing the stigma and discrimination," she told participants.
Meantime, Premier of Nevis Hon Vance Amory in his remarks said that the NIA was serious and concerned about the mental health of Nevisians especially the youth.
"It is our intention to do all that which is in our power as a government to support the Ministry of Health, to support through the Ministry of Education, through our support of the organisations which are involved in helping in this area, to ensure that we have a population which is healthy which also can be wealthy".
He noted that the NIA had already made efforts to engage the services of Dr Melvon Swanston a Nevisian, a clinical psychologist of long standing and other counsellors in the education system on Nevis, all efforts to ensure that additional tools and support systems were provided for Nvisians, for the strength of mind so that they could cope in life. He said that he had made a request to a friendly government in the region through one of its resident ambassadors to provide a psychiatrist for Nevis.
The Premier said there was also a determined effort to change the focus from just treatment of mental illness to look at the diagnosis and the investigation which may cause mental illness in order to achieve a greater understanding of what was creating the problems which are manifested with the deterioration of mental health.
Facilitator Doctor Ermine Belle, Senior Consultant Psychologist in Barbados gave an overview of mental health in a global and regional prospective. Mr Kingsley Elliott Health Services Administrator gave the Vote of Thanks, Mrs Irene Clarke Community Psychiatric Nurse said prayers, Doctor Raymond Rohan rendered a song while Mr St Clair Wallace Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health served as chairman.
