National mental health plan coming

Director of mental health Dr Hazel Othello has said a technical working group has been set up to look at providing mental health and psycho-social (MHPSS) support for those affected by the covid19 pandemic.

Mental health and psycho-social support is a term used by the UN inter-agency standing committee to describe any type of support that aims to protect and promote psycho-social well-being and/or treat mental health conditions.

The group is composed of health ministry personnel and stakeholders from NGOs, local professional organisations, and other mental stakeholders, and is chaired by Othello. The group will meet weekly for May and June and bi-weekly thereafter for as long as is required. She said the stakeholders contributed to the development of a national covid19 MHPSS response plan.

Othello said some areas of focus are co-ordination, communication, research, strengthening of health systems, public health measures, surveillance and epidemiological intelligence, and research. She said upcoming activities will include: training for the ministry’s covid19 helpline responders, which will expand the number of virtual mental health responders who can connect callers to appropriate service providers; private-sector-sponsored employee assistance services for health ministry employees; and a series of webinars targeting specific groups to provide support and build resilience.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said that by next week, people would be able to call the covid19 hotline with questions related to their mental health. He said the numbers are 877-WELL, 800-WELL and for Tobago 800-HEAL.

He said the population at the St Ann’s Hospital had been reduced to approximately 750 through the government’s programme for decentralisation of mental health services. Othello said the services offered by the hospital were largely in-patient, with patients being later discharged, although some remain for extended periods of time. She said part of the programme involved risk assessment and management, so if the person posed a risk to society, they would be kept for longer periods of time. She said the majority of patients with significant mental health issues were not dangerous.

Othello said parents struggling to cope with being at home with their children should apply the same coping mechanisms they are using to adjust to staying at home. She said parents should explain the situation to their children in a way they would understand and reminded them that children respond to what is happening emotionally in their environment. She also advocated for reading to be encouraged. For students having exams coming up, she encouraged them to keep studying but also to take time for recreation and exercise. She reminded them that examinations do not define them.

Othello said people respond to stressful situations in different ways, with the most common being anxiety and depressed moods. She said public health officials are preparing to deal with complicated grief reactions in the months ahead, and there were already people on the ground talking to those who were experiencing a decrease in mental health. She said different modalities of therapy were important, be they dance, music, art, etc.

She said some symptoms of anxiety could include sweating, excess tension and feelings of nervousness. She said at lower levels, the person could try relaxation techniques but if the feeling became overwhelming, medical intervention could be needed. She said medical personnel would determine if there were medical causes and provide treatment in either case. She said if people were resistant to medical treatment, it was important for their families to encourage them to seek it. She said should people have to be committed against their will, this will be done under the Mental Health Act.

Othello said social media could have a deleterious effect on mental health, and people should be careful what they exposed themselves and their children to. She said the role of the media was important both in terms of sharing accurate news as well as assisting the ministry in disseminating their messages, especially those targeting vulnerable groups.

She said people will have to celebrate their mothers virtually on Mothers’ Day as celebrating in person is not possible at this time. She suggested people make a phone call to express their love and appreciation, or if they have access to video communication, they can have a more visual experience.