16,450 under psychiatric care at SWRHA

AT the end of September, the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) had just over 16,000 names registered at its psychiatric clinics. And an additional 450 children and adolescents are attending its Child Guidance Clinic from September.

These were the figures given by the acting CEO of SWRHA Dr Pravinde Ramoutar as he addressed a World Mental Health Day (WMHD) symposium at the JRD Mohammed Convention Centre in Princes Town on Thursday.

“Young people all over the world are constantly battling the effects of human rights violations, violence in the home, schools and other places.”

With the theme of suicide prevention, the SWRHA invited students from 20 primary and secondary schools within the South Eastern Education District.

“Throughout the month and even into 2020, community mental health teams throughout SWRHA will be reaching out to the population in its catchment area with focus on suicide prevention,” he said.

Traumatic events are becoming daily occurrences with young people spending significant time on the internet, he said, where they are experiencing cyber-crimes, cyber-bullying, and are playing violent video games.

“Suicide and substance abuse numbers have been steadily rising and among LGBTQ youth who are feeling alone and persecuted for being true to themselves,” Ramoutar said.

He lamented that young people are at the age when serious mental illnesses can occur and yet they are not adequately taught about mental health issues.

“There is urgent need therefore to provide the tools to enable them to live a more productive and stable life, and SWRHA is striving to make a difference.”

TT joined over 100 countries worldwide yesterday in celebrating World Mental Health Day, a signature event of the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), the largest mental health advocacy group in the world.

The WFMH said suicidal behaviour has existed throughout human history, but due to several complex factors, it has increased gradually in all parts of the world and, in the past few decades, has reached alarming statistical levels. The topic of suicide has attracted the interest of most fields of study for centuries, which is why it has been explored by philosophy, religion, medicine, sociology, bioethics, law, and psychology, among other fields.

Ramoutar outlined that World Health Organisation’s (WHO) research says more than 800,000 people die by suicide a year, that is, approximately one suicide every 40 seconds. It says suicide is the principal cause of death among those 15-29 years old. Additionally, for every completed suicide, there are approximately 20 attempts. For each suicide, approximately 135 people suffer intense grief or are profoundly affected in other ways. This amounts to 108 million people per year who are significantly affected by suicidal behaviour.

“It is often believed that it is only adults who exhibit suicidal behaviours, but it should be made known that many children and young people engage in this kind of behaviour as a result of violence, sexual abuse, bullying and cyberbullying and other factors,” Ramoutar said.

Suicide is a global public health problem that deserves the attention of all the actors in the field of mental health, he said, including scientific and professional organisations. There are numerous complex factors that contribute to suicide, but what is most important is that actions must be geared toward prevention.

“It is important that trans-sectoral and interdisciplinary action be taken by all of the stakeholders involved.”

To mark this day, the SWRHA organised a range of programmes throughout its catchment area of 600,000 people, he said, as the symposium heralds many traditional as well as novel initiatives to heighten the level of awareness in mental health and the real threat of mental disorders to the population. The symposium is a collaborative effort by SWRHA, National Library and Information System Authority (Nalis) and the Ministry of Education's South Eastern Education District.