Minister of Health, John Boyce (second from right) greets De Tracey Jones, Past Chair of Lions Club South, as Henderson Maxwell, President of Lions Club South and PAHO/WHO Representative Tomo Kanda (right) look on during a visit to one of the booths at the Zone Health Fair yesterday.
Shed the stigma
The stigma and discrimination that surround mental health issues need to be shed as these remain major obstacles to the development of mental health services, as well as the rehabilitation of those affected by these conditions.
This is according to Minister of Health, John Boyce, who was speaking during the Zone Health Fair in Church Village Green yesterday morning.
“I am urging you to shed the stigma and become able to talk about mental health depression as easily as you talk about physical illness,” he said.
He encouraged persons not to view those suffering from depression as weak, noting that they should instead be seen as having an illness which can be treated
effectively when diagnosed early.
Furthermore, the Minister made the call for those within the community and social circles to do their part to identify the signs of mental illness, and render support to anyone who may be encountering these challenges. Boyce added that Government will continue to do its part to raise awareness and provide a “continuum of care for those wrestling with depression”.