The silent pandemic

THE EDITOR: There is a silent pandemic plaguing our society. “One in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives” (WHO, 2001). This becomes even more apparent in our current situation where heavy restrictions are being placed upon our society.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. For something that affects a quarter of our nation, it is vital that we talk about, raise awareness of, and eliminate the stigma of mental health year-round instead of just one or two times annually.

It is a shameful fact that many adults in our society do not take mental health seriously. It is often proposed that the reason for this lies with the lack of education, which leads many to believe that mental illnesses are not as serious as physical ailments.

This is backed up in an University of Michigan article saying, “Perhaps because mental illnesses are simply not as concrete as physical illnesses, they are often not taken as seriously. Contrary to this popular belief, mental illnesses are actual diseases that must be treated as seriously as a physical disease.”

It is dangerous to believe otherwise. According to WHO surveys, the suicide rate has risen in TT by 23 per cent between 2006 and 2015. Is this increase in only nine years due to the lack of education on the significance of mental health?

The issue of mental wellbeing could be handled, partially, with students being educated on the importance of mental health as well as how to recognise the symptoms of common mental disorders. This would help break the stigma around mental health and simultaneously familiarise students with the idea of seeing a mental health professional the same way they would any other doctor. This would also greatly increase the number of adults who acknowledge this issue later on.

When it takes less than a decade to raise our national suicide rate by 23 per cent it is no longer enough to raise awareness for mental health. We must actively fight against it – to save lives. This should start with our schools.

STEVON JAGGASAR

via e-mail