In recognition of World Mental Health Day on October 10, the Department of Psychiatry at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) hosted a series of activities aimed at promoting mental health among workers at the hospital, in line with this year’s theme, ‘It is Time to Prioritise Mental Health in the Workplace’.

Among the activities was a march on the hospital compound to encourage staff to take care of their mental health.

Speaking with Observer Online about the initiative, Dr Clayton Sewell, head of the Department of Psychiatry at UHWI, said “… we know that mental challenges can occur within the context of the workplace…so we will be going into the various departments of the hospital, meeting with staff, doing screening for common mental health issues and providing further treatment and support for… not only staff but also family members of patients who are currently admitted to the ward.”

World Mental Health Day was established on October 10, 1992 by the World Federation for Mental Health and since then has been observed every year with the aim of raising awareness about mental health agendas through collaboration with various partners to take action and create lasting change.