Min Anthony says measures being put in place to tackle youth mental health

The Ministry of Health is expected to be rolling out a series of short and long-term plans to address mental health across the country.

Last March the World Health Organisation (WHO) said in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25 per cent.  UNICEF, in a recent poll, found the COVID-19 crisis is having a significant impact on the mental health of adolescents and young people in Latin America and the Caribbean

Aside from the recent passage of the Suicide Prevention Bill, the Health Ministry recently hosted a health and well-being conference targeting mental health.

The conference saw experts from across the world sharing their expertise and offering solutions to tackle concerns about mental health locally, regionally and internationally.

Meanwhile the government has put in place some intervention measures to tackle the serious issue directed towards youth.

These include the introduction of Child Psychiatry Clinics, a classroom for children diagnosed with autism and autism spectrum disorders, and in-school mental health programmes.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, told the Department of Public Information (DPI) the child psychiatry clinics  which were previously conducted at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) have since been expanded to several regions. These clinics, he said, are aimed at making mental health services more accessible to all age groups in every region of Guyana.

The minister also said the classroom for children with neurological development disorders would be expanded at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre, a move anticipated to bring welcomed relief to the parents of children with such needs.

Speaking to tackle the issue of youth’s mental health in school, the minister said the ministry is preparing for the rollout of a resilience-building training programme. The programme is being conducted by the International Development and Relief Foundation (IDRF), a Canadian Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), under a larger project to tackle mental health issues in Guyana. The project, which received CAD $2.9 million in funding, is expected to benefit some 67,750 persons over a five-year period.

In addition to working with schools, members of the President’s Youth Council will also receive resilience training, and under a trainers’ programme, receive coaching on how to train others as well, the minister said.