Miscellaneous
Barbados to Establish National Mental Health and Suicide Hotline: Ministry of Health Responds to Concerns
Barbados is establishing a national mental health and suicide hotline to address self-harm incidents, especially among teenagers and young adults. The government aims to increase public education and support to maintain the low suicide rate in the country. If you or someone you know needs help, please reach out to the Assessment Unit at the Psychiatric Hospital or the National Youth Support Hotline.
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Originally published by barbadostoday.bb (opens in new tab)
National suicide hotline coming
By Shamar Blunt
Barbados will soon have a national mental health and suicide hotline.
Chief Medical Officer Dr The Most Honourable Kenneth George made the announcement on Monday as he indicated that just as residents have been concerned about the number of people taking their lives in recent months, the Ministry of Health has been concerned for some time about the number of self-harm incidents.
“The Ministry of Health and Wellness is concerned about the reports of self-harm and suicide, particularly in teenagers and young adults, and males are the most vulnerable populations in Barbados. Although the suicide rate in Barbados is well below the estimated global averages, it is critical that we address this phenomenon head-on as we try to place the appropriate health systems in place for comprehensive mental health reform,” he said at a Media Sensitisation Workshop for Suicide Prevention, funded by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which was held at Accra Beach Hotel.
“We are in the process of establishing a mental health and suicide hotline that, based on international evidence and guidelines, will add to our national response and allow for immediate intervention for assistance and follow-up. This remains our number one priority, and the Ministry of Health and Wellness will include partnerships with community-based organisations, non-governmental health organisations, and other professional agencies.”
The CMO noted that with the unprecedented financial hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise in new forms of drugs and other addictive substances being used by young people, the Mental Health Commission has outlined several areas of focus, which the Government intends to invest in to better tackle the problem.
They include the development of a mental health policy for Barbados; review and upgrade of the regulatory and legislative frameworks guiding mental health; expansion of community-based mental health services; expansion of services targeting vulnerable populations; and increasing public education and support and engagement of allied agencies in the overall work of the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
Meanwhile, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist at Psychiatric Hospital, Dr Brian Maclachlan stressed that despite global statistics suggesting that men are more susceptible to suicidal thoughts and self-harm, more women tended to be admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital under parasuicide and deliberate self-harm circumstances.
