UWI students urged to seek out mental health services

Students of The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus are being encouraged to seek out the sources and avenues available to them in terms of psychosocial assistance.

This encouragement came from Tricia Hercules, a social worker, therapist and Director of the Bright Life Family Centre during a recent interview with The Barbados Advocate.

The new semester may have only begun a few weeks ago, but many students have reported feeling drained already and it is against this backdrop that Hercules is advising students to seek out the avenues available to them.

“I know that there is usually psychologists that UWI students are able to go and meet with on campus, but I am not sure how that is going to be done as everything has transitioned to online. So it would be good, and I would suggest for them to seek out what mental health services are available to them through their own university, especially if they are UWI students,” she said.

“They might not know that that avenue is available to them. So many students may not know about what may be [available] to them, even during the lockdown. So I would encourage persons to seek out what is happening on their home front first.”

Hercules went on to note that some children in secondary school, even some primary schoolers, also have not been coping well with the transition to online school. As such, she suggested that parents look to get in contact with the guidance counsellors of the school, the teacher, the principal – whoever they are able to reach out to.

She assured that even if the guidance counsellors were unable to handle the numbers, that there were still other avenues available to parents as there may be a few psychologists that work with the Ministry of Education and other organisations, including Bright Life Family Centre, that would be able to assist parents during these times as well. (CLJB)