EDITORIAL: A mental health crisis

IN February of this year, Barbados recorded two suspicious deaths suspected to be suicides in young males. They occurred within the span of a week. This raised levels of concern for the mental health of youth in the island due to the changes to their lives caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although these two cases were made public, it seems logical that there are several more cases of young people struggling with self-harm or substance abuse issues that have not been publicised. This situation is not unique to Barbados, but has been occurring worldwide as there has been a drastic change in the lives of young people who have grown accustomed to the routine of school and in-person learning and socialisation, but now have to do everything virtually.

Director of the Psychiatric Hospital, David Leacock, is reportedly concerned about the increase in mental health issues, as well as an increase in demand for mental health assistance. Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr. Ermine Belle, also expressed concern about the mental health of school leavers who are unable to find work and persons who have lost their source of income. Dr. Belle also mentioned that older persons were having difficulties coping as well and that they may need assistance from professionals and emotional support from others.

Stability and routine help support good mental health and in this time plagued with uncertainty, it is expected that many people will have difficulty dealing with the changes.

Although adults may not usually have feelings as intense as teenagers, this time is difficult for most persons and no one should consider themselves weak for seeking assistance.

The situation is clearly prevalent worldwide as many international health organisations have made reference to it in their public service announcements. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) all have online resources to help persons coping with stress and mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At present, there is no suicide hotline in Barbados, but discussions are reportedly ongoing to create such a hotline. In our opinion, such a hotline should always remain available and should be a priority for any Health Ministry. However, mental health is often overlooked until it is too late and it is understandable that health ministries are bombarded with many physical health crises and can at times be overwhelmed. Alternatively, the Psychiatric Hospital has advised that their assessment unit can be contacted 24 hours a day in case of mental health emergencies. Such hotlines are especially important now since there are concerns about increased domestic violence during lockdowns, posing a danger to both children and adults, and leading to unhealthy living environments and further stress.

Persons should try to take time to talk to friends to maintain some sense of normalcy. Zoom does not have to be used only for work meetings, it can be used socially to chat and play games with groups of friends. At this time, we really need to become our brother’s keeper to ensure that everyone has support if it is needed.