Among the more encouraging developments in recent times has been an increasing willingness by Jamaicans to openly discuss mental health.

We dare say mental health-related professionals, such as chief executive officer of Bellevue Hospital Ms Suzette Buchanan, are much more stretched for time nowadays because of requests to share knowledge and experiences with interest groups.

Thanks to the news media, the rest of us are learning as well. So that, while it was already public knowledge that mental health cases had spiked during and after the COVID-19 pandemic which took root in Jamaica early 2020, Ms Buchanan confirmed at this week’s Diaspora conference in Montego Bay that even now that trend “has not changed”.

And it stands to reason that staff at hospitals in western and central Jamaica, and very probably in other parts of the country, are also seeing a surge in mental cases post-Hurricane Melissa which struck in late October 2025.

For, as was noted on Tuesday at the conference, and repeatedly underlined by experts since Melissa, mental health challenges do tend to surge in the aftermath of public emergencies and natural disasters.

Also, all too frequent reports of violence in schools and among adults who know each other, including murder/suicide cases, point to extreme mental, emotional, psychological instability for a growing number of Jamaicans.

In that regard, news of help from the Diaspora through an initiative being developed to remotely deliver care such as psychiatric evaluations, therapy, and medication management using telecommunications technology is very welcome.

Executive director of National Healthcare Enhancement Foundation (NHEF) Courtney Cephas says the initiative — should it come to fruition — would involve “a tele-mental health hub that can reach out across the country into schools, into health centres, hospitals, into business places, [and] into our correctional facilities”.

According to Mr Cephas, the initiative could allow professionals from anywhere in the world “to give service without even” coming to Jamaica.

And, important as the telecoms technologies undoubtedly are, we are grateful for a reminder of the equal importance of ‘up front and personal’.

Ms Buchanan wants awareness of mental health challenges to be heightened among the young by including various elements in the school curriculum.

“We have to teach conflict resolution [and] we have to also look at emotional intelligence as we cannot wait until the tree grows to bend the tree; we have to bend it when it is young. Let us start with the little ones,” she said.

Nor can it end there. Neighbours, relatives, work-mates, friends should pay close attention to those around them for signs of stress and trouble and try to help as best they can. Advice, kind words, modest financial assistance, may not seem like much, but can often make a difference.

Spouses and lovers who are frequently in conflict; adults unable to send their children to school and/or buy food for the table because of hard times, number among tell-tale signs.

Sadly, sometimes the upcoming “autoclapse” is there for all to see, but those looking in from the outside do nothing because they feel it’s not their business. Only to later regret their inaction.

It’s always better to be safe than sorry.