Psychotherapist and Clinical Counsellor Alison Edward believes that a mental health crisis has occurred in Saint Lucia, where there has been a spike in diagnoses of mental health issues.
“I could only talk about the experience that we have at the (Mental) Wellness Centre,” Edward told the DBS Television programme, Newsmaker Live on Wednesday.
“There is a situation in Saint Lucia. I think Saint Lucia is in a crisis when it comes to mental health. Mental health diagnosis is on the rise. There is a high rate of diagnoses like schizophrenia, major depression, major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder,” she disclosed.
She advocated introducing appropriate legislation, more inclusion, and community social activities involving organisations like churches.
Edward told programme Host Timothy Poleon that Mental Wellness Centre counsellors try to help people with mental health issues to cope.
She explained that the patients get medication.
Edward said psychiatrists visit, medication is monitored, and the centre has counsellors available.
“We treat the mental illness with medication and therapy,” she stated.
Regarding legislation, she observed that a lot has to do with stigma.
“We have to look in terms of education,” Edward said.
In addition, she noted that some people with mental health issues are on the streets.
“We have to look at what is in place for people who are mentally ill. Where can they go? Is there a halfway house besides the Wellness Centre? How you are going to educate people and let them know that the National Wellness Centre is a place you can go to and get treatment?”
Edward also spoke of the need to scrutinise the available medication.
“Are there new and improved medication that they have now on the market? Are we getting them and why are we using the same medication all across the board throughout the Islands?” The psychotherapist asked.
Off course there is a mental health issue. To think that Lucians leave their homes in thousands to cast a vote for some of these candidates. There must be a mental issue. Uhv some uve been there for 20- 25 maybe 10 and done nothing of note. Hv no legacy hv done nothing to better lives of the average man but yet still the malayway will lv his/her home and vote, confirms the mental health issue in Lucia.
This is evident from all this senseless killings and violent crimes. The pressures of daily life seem too much handle.
I believe the covid vaccine is doing alot of damage whether it is believed or not there’s much to prove this but conspiracy theories is the new normal .I feel sad for all who is killed and injured by thes vaccines and the fact that the ones affected afraid to address it properly and boldly
What is true mental killer.
We have been ignoring those people for along time. There is indeed a mental health crisis, there more young people of partially and or unsound mind on the streets, whether it is by their fault or the fault of men in those dark societies. We will have a mental health crisis. Other factors abuse at home, work, and school, debt, n unemployment. Pray and help more, our government and those NGOs need to do more. “Love, acceptance, support, tolerance, they who preach this, art part of the dark that affects the lives of men, start at the hierarchy, clean the house, and help the people.” Empowerment with JESUS CHRIST, we need that.
Economic challenges that were compounded during the Pandemic created even more mental distress and some people are still feeling the effects
“Too much stress and indifference, less of the dark, more of Jesus Christ, and more forgiveness for this mental health crisis”
“Stop putting darkness on your neighbours to thrive, REPENT!” It is happening in our schools, work places, and communities. There is too much magic in our land.
“Move that brother or sister off the street, that you have put there with your evil magic, vengeance is mine says God or Jesus”
Comapossion and forginevess, now that’s love.
yYu are clinically correct. Say more you might become like fowchii and billgates
It’s dem call centers like itel
St. Lucia has always had a mental health crisis, diabetes and many others…..however pride, ego etc. etc. has created a”let’s sweep the mental health under the carpet syndrome” because of what other people will say obout our family….
I don’t think it directly involved the vaccine but our kids have been playing violent video games involving killing so they have been conditioned to believe killing is ok and acceptable. In their mind it’s a game. Combine this with drugs then all the mental issues come up. Think of the age group involved and calculate and conclude. Video games are censored in the very countries that make them so why allow them in our once peaceful island?
Latourney I think it is less about the video games and more about being indoctrinated into violence by music. All you hear on the streets, near schools, in bars, near homes is about guns, killing, violence and sexualisation. This has to take a toll. The generations who grew up playing video games are not the ones in the violence. They’re too busy playing games.
It is not so much as mental health crisis but a crisis of lawlessness and disorder. A society only functions if people follow the rules and suffer consequences for not following them. It has been well documented, the moment a human can act without consequence, they will continue to push the boundaries of what they can get away with. This is St. Lucia. No boundaries. Nothing is punished. Y person sees X person getting away with not following the rules and benefiting. Y person ask themselves why should I follow the rules where it is easier and more beneficial to not do so. Y person starts ignoring the rules. Then Z person sees X and Y benefit from not following the rules and they get in on the act. Wash rinse, repeat.
Well said anonymous we need the Holy Spirit, we need to call on the name of Yeshua Messiah there is too much witchcraft in this country. And when people speak out they are being lambassed. Look how they treating Fr. Albert. Pray to Addonai….pray for your family, pray for parliment, pray for all leaders & deputy leaders, pray for the PM & GG, pray for the church, pray for the youth, pray for the opposition, pray for each other, pray for your coworkers, pray for single mothers, pray to break the curses, repent! stand in the gap, stay on the watch tower, forgive people & love! i know it is hard but try…oir lives depend on it. And get help! if you feel stressed get help!
@Jay is absolutely correct! The norm was/is to sweep things of this nature under the rug because of the fear of what people will think – a spirit of PRIDE. Deep seated issues from long before economic and societal coupled with the conditions that the pandemic brought about has made it way worse. If the parents/grandparents don’ t know of positive coping skills to pass on, businesses don’t care about mental wellness – just focus on the bottom line at their employees’ expense and we continue to cast God aside daily – how are we to survive?
Re Article and comments! Another fact of life is facing the poor and under privileged by keeping the SLAVE Wages intact. We must pay the slave workers more Money in order for them to mentain the slaves that we are producing…
Every year at least one thousand (1000) young people graduate from school and there are at least 5 will be employed, what do we expect from the remaining 995?
We don’t have a proactive approach to combat the mis calculation of our Governments that is currently keeping us poor and destitute and, now, We are seeing the effects of the Lark of Commonsense from our Babbling spitballs throwing from the X- And currently Prime Minister’s…
Folks! Our working poor and overworked people must be paid a fair living minimum wage of $10+ per hour worked to everyone..
Stop listening to BS and demand a fair living wage system.. NOW!
@smh There’s a useful four-letter word…and you’re full of it.
The government refuse to enact a minimum wage to curb mental illness over 80 percent of private sector workers are stress out working for wages as low as 3 to 5 EC dollars an hour working 12 to 18 hour shifts
It’s the women to blame they not loving our men like they should, before a man want some loving they want to jump in his pockets first saloplas DE bun bomez women ruining the country, no heart salops giving all mun stress an depression leaving their hard workingn men for mun with tinted rides, gold digging assez an the mothers to telling all their daughter to look for rich mun only, poor jab for men that have good heart getting trash by these women…
Well researched & commonly known in most informed medical circles is that smoking herb during adolescence affects young brains & often causes drug induced psychosis throughout those peoples lives. smoking herb from a young age is “normalized” in the Caribbean & the region ill-equipped to deal with the consequences. Medication (& other therapies) can help those individuals BUT family and community education about mental health (of all kinds) provides the right support to those affected. St Lucia sadly is just not up to it… BTW not opposed to smoking per se just the age ie while the brain is not fully developed.