Community-based mental health interventions, including the recently launched Problem Management Plus, is to form a key pillar of Jamaica’s mental health response this year.
“The Ministry will be doing more to enhance our community engagement, with the continued collaboration with PAHO for the Problem Management Plus (PM+) intervention,” said Minister of Health & Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton in his Sectoral presentation earlier today.
“Already the programme has trained 119 community members from entities such as churches and community-based organisations, providing them with basic tools for counselling and psycho-social support. This year, the intention is to conduct ongoing recruitment and training of supervisors to provide services to more communities. The goal is to meet a target of 180 providers and 30 supervisors,” he explained.
PM+ is designed to bring mental health support services to communities, meeting people where they are while providing them with the space and the tools to overcome adversity that can impact their mental wellness.
Meanwhile, community-based mental health interventions are to be complemented by the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Helpline and the U-Matter Chatline. Both services have seen significant usage since becoming operational in 2019 and 2022 respectively.
Since 2019, the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Helpline has handled more than 4,700 calls. The U-Matter Chatline, for which the Ministry has partnered with UNICEF to cater to young people aged 16-24 years, has conducted more than 2,000 counselling sessions. Both services have dealt with issues including suicidal ideation, anxiety, depression, as well as stress and mood disorders.
Also ongoing, the Minister said, is the School Mental Health Literacy Programme on which the Ministry continues to collaborate with the Ministry of Education & Youth.
“Our colleagues in the Ministry of Education & Youth understand and are seized with the importance of providing mental health first aid so as to prevent our young people from having negative mental health outcomes. Last year, we started to address the mental health challenges by strengthening our capacities within educational institutions,” Dr. Tufton said.
“Already, through our partnership, we have [under the School Mental Health Literacy Programme] trained 531 school personnel in understanding how to optimise and maintain good mental health; understanding mental disorders and their treatments; decreasing stigma; and enhancing help-seeking efficacy, which is knowing when and where to get help and having the skills necessary to promote self-care and how to obtain good care,” he noted.
Senator, Dr. Saphire Longmore – a psychiatrist and former head of the Jamaica Psychiatric Association – has also been appointed to work along with the mental health team “to strengthen and enhance the school engagement programme”.
“Through this joint programme, the Ministry will be engaging at least 50 additional schools as part of the #DoYourShare Campaign, which prioritises, among other things, the creation of safe spaces for young people who may be experiencing mental health challenges,” the Minister said.