KINGSTON, Jamaica— Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton said an “all society” approach is needed to effectively deal with mental health as ignorance poses the biggest hindrance to wellness.

The minister, who was addressing the opening ceremony for the National Mental Health Conference on Tuesday at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston, said with improved understanding, more affected individuals will seek help.

“No single group, or subgroup can address what is the greatest health challenge in society today. By all statistics, our mental state, our state of mind has been challenged for many reasons,” Tufton told the gathering.

The two-day event is being held under the theme ‘Mental Health and Human Rights: Using the past to direct the future’.

Dr Tufton said that in managing mental health, there are not only traditional challenges but also “the new and emerging challenges”.

He said stigma and ignorance stand in the way of treating the illness, and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic increased the number of people affected by mental challenges.

The minister pointed out that prior to the virus, four out of every 10 people experienced the illness, and it moved to six of every 10 individuals.

Recently, the ministry established the Problem Management Plus (PM+), for people experiencing stress, anxiety and other mental health challenges. The programme should assist people with accessing support within their communities. The ministry’s Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Helpline, 888-NEW-LIFE (888-639-5433), can also be accessed for support.

The programme, which is among several government initiatives to serve people with mental health issues, engages faith-based and community leaders to assist people to cope with distress resulting from the death of family/friends, financial loss, experience with violence, natural disasters, among other adversities.

-JIS