AMIDST growing concerns about the low number of mentally ill people turning up at hospitals and health centres for treatment, the Ministry of Health on Wednesday launched a $27-million mental health promotions programme aimed at increasing awareness among members of the public and removing the stigma associated with the illness.

The programme, which is being made possible through a grant from the National Health Fund (NHF), will incorporate the use of posters, brochures, mass media campaign, presentations and islandwide meetings to better promote the message of good mental health and stress management, among other things.

Rae Barrett, chief executive officer of the NHF, noted that although the NHF Card covers fifteen chronic illnesses, including major depression and psychosis, a large number of cases still go unreported or untreated. Mental illness, he said, has traditionally been shrouded by misunderstanding, fear and stigma, which prevents people from seeking treatment.

“But all of this has a detrimental effect on the person who wants to access the services” Barrett said during his address at the launch at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston.

Dr Earl Wright, director of Mental Health Services, Ministry of Health, joined Barrett in saying that the stigma associated with mental illness had been preventing some people from accessing treatment. He said the mental promotions programme would address this and other issues.

Health Minister Horace Dalley, who endorsed the programmes, said his ministry had been working on ensuring that health workers were trained to detect mental illness in patients who visit health facilities for medical treatment.

“I would like to reach the stage where health facilities in Jamaica have trained health workers who are able to detect mental illness in patients,” he said.

“I want us to go on crusade to educate people about that fact that people with mental illness are not mad people,” the minister said, adding that there are many people who are mentally ill who go undetected because their family members are not able to detect the signs and symptoms.