…Region 5 Health Dep’t taking ‘bottom-up’ approach in tackling mental health

THE Public Health Ministry’s Department of Health in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) is taking a ‘bottom-up’ approach as it aggressively tackles mental health disorders in the district.

On Saturday, the Department of Health, in collaboration with SAVE Guyana, a non-governmental organization, not only exposed public service officers in the education, security, health and social services sectors to the factors influencing mental health disorders but equipped them with the skills and knowledge needed to identify signs of depression and other disorders. Most importantly, the public service officers, who on a daily basis come into contact with persons from all walks of life, were told of ways they can provide assistance to those in need of help.

The Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Workshop, which was held at the Region Five Regional Democratic Council’s (RDC) Fort Wellington Office, took place at a time when news of another suicide ‘rocked’ a neighouring village. A young man, in No. 28 Village, reportedly took his own life after experiencing domestic issues.

On the margins of the one-day workshop, the Regional Health Officer (RHO) Dr. Desmond Nicholson, said it was unfortunate that the young man did not get the help he needed, but assured that the Department of Health will redouble its efforts in helping persons at the grassroots level to detect persons with depression, suicidal thoughts and other mental disorders.

Front burner issues
Alluding to the fact that Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) is now among the top three regions in the country with high numbers of self-harm and suicide cases, Dr. Nicholson said the Department of Health has placed Mental Health issues on the front burner. He said the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Workshop complements the Self-Harm Surveillance Programme, which was launched in the region last January, in collaboration with the Public Health Ministry’s Mental Health Unit.

Region Five reportedly has the second highest number of self-harm and suicide cases in the country followed by Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) remains at the top of the chart. It is expected that, through the Self-Harm Surveillance Programme, which is being implemented in other parts of the country, the Department of Health would be able to remove the stigma associated with Mental Health Disorders, and provide needed care to those affected.

Last April, the Department of Health facilitated the first of three Mental Health GAP Action (mhGAP) workshops for 2019. Under the programme, doctors, nurses, health workers, welfare officers and even teachers are being equipped with lower-level psychiatric education for providing effective mental health care. This programme is known to be effective in helping persons with mental disorders such as depression, psychosis, self-harm which can lead to suicide, epilepsy, dementia and stresses that are due to the use of substances.

“We want to make mental health something that is no longer seen as a stigma, so persons could walk into the health center and speak to someone who is competent enough to handle their mental health problems whether it be dementia, epilepsy, schizophrenia, drug abuse, whether they are issues of self-harm or suicide,” Dr. Nicholson told this newspaper. He said as part of the Regional Health Department’s Programme, it has opted to partner with SAVE Guyana.

Mental health care

Canadian Certified Addiction and Behavioural Therapist, Shirvington Hannays, while applauding the Department of Health and SAVE Guyana for the bold steps taken to remove the stigma and simultaneously provide the necessary help, said they should take it one step further. Hannays, on the sideline of the workshop said not only should the health authorities train doctors and nurses but they should also equip grandparents with lower-level psychiatric education for providing effective mental health care. This, he said, is being done in Ghana, and other parts of the world, and should be done here too.

“We are looking for the policies to come from above but we have to go back to the grassroots, and see what is the language and the lingo that we use, who are the natural gate keepers in our community and then make sure that we go with them,” Hannays said. He emphasized that if grandmothers can be trained as psychologists in Africa, the same can be done here.

Addressing some of the causes of mental health issues such as suicide, the Canadian-based Behavioural Therapist said that for an extensive period Guyanese have experienced “hopelessness” and “helplessness.”

“Unless that is addressed where people start feeling hopeful again that the future can be different than the way it is, people would always become hopeless, helpless, isolated, and then self-esteem becomes a problem,” he explained. He said these feelings at times lead to self-harm and suicide.

“I am hoping that the drilling of oil next year can bring about a sense of hopefulness generally,” he told this newspaper. According to him, with Guyana once described as the “suicide capital of the world,” it is believed that there are approximately 250,000 to 300, 000 persons in the country diagnosed with mental illness.

“Diagnosis doesn’t mean schizophrenia, it could mean depression, it could mean anxiety disorder,” he posited while adding that “it is too sad that a country this size of population that people don’t see that hopefulness for the future with all of our natural resources.” Hannays said, first and foremost, the authorities must address the self-esteem issues.
In Guyana, it is said that men are more likely to commit suicide than women, and according the Behavioural Therapist there is a reason for that. He told this newspaper that men are often taught to disregard their feelings, and that must be changed. “Men need to be encouraged to acknowledge first and foremost that they have feelings. Men in a lot of ways are not socialized to feel that there are times that they can be vulnerable. We have to first of all embrace that men have feelings, and there are ways in which they can deal with that in a productive and a positive way instead of trying to suppress it,” Hannays said.
SAVE Guyana Vice President and Training and Education Director, Leslyn Holder, said depression, uncontrollable anger, family discord and domestic violence are among common causes associated with suicide and suicidal behavior. Holder said since 2015, Guyana has made tremendous progress in tackling mental health issues but said much more needs to be done.

Like Hannays, Holder made a pitch for the re-introduction of the “Gate Keepers” programme which would see people at the grassroots level helping each other to address some of their mental health issues. She said no one community or organization could do it alone.

SAVE Guyana – Suicide and Violence Eradication (SAVE) Guyana – has been educating persons on suicide warning signs, risk and preventative factors; and steps for safe storage and use of pesticides and other poisons. Importantly, it has been educating persons on Mental Health Disorders, and refuting myths. The workshop also touched on abuse.
Saturday’s workshop saw participation from the Regional Department of Health, the Mahaicony Hospital, the Fort Wellington District Hospital, the Fort Wellington Police Station, the Department of Education, the Child Care and Protection Agency and the Hugo Chavez Centre, among other organisations.