The mental health crisis in the Caribbean has escalated to alarming levels, with young people bearing the brunt of rising anxiety, depression, and stress. This stark reality was underscored by Chief Medical Officer, the Most Honorable Dr. Kenneth George, as he addressed the media launch of the 69th CARPHA Annual Health Research Conference.
With this year’s theme—”Mental Health: The Hidden Pandemic”—highlighting the growing concern over mental well-being in the region, Dr. George revealed a startling statistic: Barbados has experienced a 100 percent increase in individuals seeking psychological and mental health services during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Across the region, there have been notable rises in persons experiencing mental health conditions, especially among young people, with many individuals experiencing heightened levels of anxiety, depression, and stress,” he said. “In Barbados, there has been a 100 per cent increase in the number of individuals seeking psychological and mental health services during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This surge is reflective of a broader regional trend where the impact of the pandemic has led to significant rises in mental health conditions.”
Though steps have been taken to address the crisis, Dr. George acknowledged that the work is far from over. The lingering effects of the pandemic continue to weigh heavily on the population, making it crucial to expand and promote mental health services across the region.
One key focus is youth mental health, an area where Barbados is making strategic moves. Dr. George shared that the country is in the process of developing an adolescence policy, with technical support from PAHO. However, reaching young people requires a different approach.
“We are developing an adolescence policy for Barbados. PAHO has been strategic in giving us the technical support, I think the document is fairly well-advanced. The challenge with young people is that from an adolescence perspective we need to be strategic in how we reach them. We are not going to reach them through the polyclinics or the older methods [in] how we deliver healthcare. We have to meet them where they are, and understand their communities to deliver appropriate healthcare,” he explained.
