By Keile Campbell
Tribune Staff Reporter
kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said yesterday he is concerned about the state of mental health in The Bahamas following a number of reports of attempted suicides.
His comment followed police reports of a 14-year-old girl attempting suicide on Sunday, a day after a 24-year-old woman tried to jump from the Sir Sydney Poitier Bridge.
With about 400 attempted suicides reported annually, Dr Darville emphasised the importance of addressing mental health and noted the government has introduced the new Mental Health Act to tackle the issue.
“This is the reason why we brought the new Mental Health Act. I’m pleased to report that the Act should be into force very shortly, and this will create the environment for us to do better mental health services throughout the country,” he said yesterday.
Dr Darville also called for legislative reform to better protect people struggling with mental health, emphasising the need for compassionate care rather than criminalisation.
“When we look at the penal code, we’ll also see that attempted suicide is a criminal act, and all of these things need to be adjusted so that we can do a better job with mental health support,” he said.
While outlining the mental health challenges faced by the country, Dr Darville said mental health conditions in The Bahamas range from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
He said such issues should be taken seriously and addressed the ongoing stigma surrounding mental illness in The Bahamas.
“We are now beginning to put in place at the community level, the clinics, so that individuals who suffer from mental health conditions can access these services,” Dr Darville explained.
He acknowledged a deficiency in psychological support, adding that the ministry is partnering with private sector groups to better meet the country’s mental health needs.
Dr Darville also said Alzheimer’s disease significantly affects the elderly population.
“I know my mother suffered from severe Alzheimer’s, and I know exactly the kind of support that is necessary to provide care for someone who has that condition,” he said.
Dr Darville noted his ministry is actively exploring ways to enhance services for elderly patients suffering from Alzheimer’s.
“We also need to expand services for the elderly by improving secondary healthcare facilities that will be able to provide these services and reduce the cost and the burden of patients presenting to our tertiary healthcare facilities with Alzheimer’s,” he said.
Comments
Twocent 2 months ago
Though it was very necessary to update our understanding of mental health and adjust the law respectively, we are still failing our people and have yet to move out of the pharma-take-a-pill era into the 21st century of brain wellness. There are many studies that clearly show our insufficient, and often toxic, diet causes trauma to our gut microbiota and consequently our gut-brain axis; the wrong foods can make us ill, both physically and mentally. Our poor building standards have led to mold and consequently mycotoxin disease of our brain and neurological system, our bad lifestyle choices lead us to impair our own brain function, and even elements in our environment and care have been shown to create serious issues for brain health. Autism, Dementia, Depression, Anxiety, PTSD and more serious diseases are, statistically, on an exponential increase. Did we truly, believe that the measures during Covid, including those manifesting later in clots and inflammation, were never going to take their toll on our society? The WHO, though accountable for much, cannot be held accountable when it is our government in which we naively put our trust. There are so many simple things that can be done to bring beneficial awareness and change, yet we are still being told big Pharma is the answer! Eventually, like the trepanation of the skull to let the evil spirit of headaches out, and electrocution to correct bad behaviour, we shall, I hope, end this Corporate Pharma horror story, see a ban on GMOs and Glyphosate, receive support for healthy domestic agriculture, rely less on profiteering companies, rebuild a foundational knowledge of our bush medicine, restore healthy values and encourage community thoughtfulness, import organic where we lack domestic supply, at reasonable prices, put up posters about the benefits of foods like coleslaw, sauerkraut, kimchi, and piklees, and put up posters that promote better food choices and increase our awareness of nutrition and how it builds our immune system. Decriminalizing mental health is vital, and growing patience for the burden yet to come is more than necessary.
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