Today, as the region celebrates Caribbean Wellness Day, the spotlight is being turned to mental health awareness.
Aligning with the Pan American Health Organisation’s campaign on the area, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) highlighted that worldwide, mental health disorders are the fifth major non-communicable disease and a major public health threat to economic development in the 21st century.
According to the World Health Organisation, one in four persons globally will be affected by a mental disorder or neurological disorder in their lifetime and 450 million are affected by these disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia and substance (e.g. alcohol, nicotine) dependency.
In the Caribbean region, mental health disorders are a leading cause of disability and a major contributor to the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In Jamaica, the burden of mental illness is predicted to cause US$2.76 billion in lost economic output from 2015-2030.
CARPHA also pointed to the major impact the current COVID-19 pandemic was having on the mental health of persons, inclusive of those with existing mental health issues. As persons with mental disorders often face stigma and discrimination, limitation of human rights, abuse, neglect and inadequate access to community-based treatment, care and support services, the agency noted that addressing stigma and discrimination is an important strategy in programmes for mental health disorders.
“A recent study in Jamaica reported that by scaling up treatment for mental health dis-orders over 15 years, for every one Jamaican dollar spent there is a $4.2 Jamaican dollar return on investment,” it added.
CARPHA said that today’s wellness event is geared at increasing awareness and promoting activities to address non-communicable diseases, including mental ill health.
“We encourage everyone to engage in healthy lifestyles like being physically active, engaging in healthy eating; if you smoke, please quit, reduce consumption of alcohol to the recommended safe quantities, get annual health checks, improve your personal relationships with family and friends and take care of your mental health. During the pandemic be calm, be safe, and seek help if unable to cope.
“As a Caribbean Region, let us recommit to the 2007 ‘Declaration of Port of Spain: Uniting to Stop the Epidemic of Chronic Non-communicable Diseases’ and Sustainable Develop-ment Goal (SDG) 3.4 ‘to reduce, by 2030, premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by one third, through prevention and treatment and the promotion of mental health and well-being,’” the organisation stressed.