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This TEDx Talk touches on Caribbean women's maternal health and explores how women in Barbados experience the baby blues and postpartum depression.

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Wellness and wealth -- why mental health matters: Fatimah Jackson-Best at TEDxBridgetown

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Fatimah Jackson-Best is a healthcare researcher, advocate, and academic. Since relocating to Barbados from Toronto, Canada she has become involved in research studies at the University of the West Indies and with local and regional organizations.

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Strolling is a short documentary film series that captures people in various cities and countries around the world having conversation about issues at the forefront of their society. This episode touches on the mental health stigma in Jamaica (1:20-2:33).

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strolling (jamaica) | ep 1 | patois, uptown kingston, depression, caribbean past, homophobia & more

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http://strollingseries.com http://strollingseries.com/donate I took a stroll with Kokab (@kokabzd) & Gladstone (@Gladstone_T) in Kingston, Jamaica. Click CC for subtitles in various languages. // translations spanish - rian de la torre (wwww.myladysaba.com) // music gd_bye - sugi_wa (https://soundcloud.com/sugiwa) //stay connected http://strollingseries.com http://facebook.com/strollingseries http://instagram.com/strollingseries http://twitter.com/strollingseries

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By looking at the history, policies and legislations, and services of the mental health system in the Caribbean there were strengths identified, as well as challenges. However, many of the challenges can be resolved by updating policies, plans, and legislation, seeking help by surrounding countries that have implemented good mental health practices, and moving away from stigma and discrimination of mental health disorders. The Caribbean should continue to pursue creative and innovative approaches to service delivery and treatment, and move toward true community based, client centered, integrated physical and mental health care across the lifespan.

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See Change and members of the Caribbean community meet to talk mental health

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Last month I journeyed up to the See Change office in Blessington Street, on Dublin's north side, to a meeting on mental health with member...

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Despite the challenges there are some good practices being done in some Caribbean countries. Integration of mental health into primary care, the role of psychiatric nurses, the development of psychosocial rehabilitation programs, and social re‐integration of patients with mental health problems are practices happening in some of these countries. With some countries demonstrating good practices in their mental health system it can provide examples of better practices in mental health for other countries with similar cultural and socio-economic features.

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Mental health services are in different stages of development and implementation based on each Caribbean country. However, mental hospitals are the most common in the Caribbean despite the fact that mental hospitals are outdated institutions, associated with higher costs of care compared to community treatment, have human rights violations, and run contrary to the principle that people should be treated as close as possible to their families in the community. On the other hand, smaller countries in the Caribbean do not have mental hospitals, but do offer an alternative. Several of the smaller countries in the Caribbean without psychiatric hospitals, such as Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Montserrat, the mental health service development has been community based. Psychiatric units in general hospitals provide the inpatient treatment and community mental health teams, including psychiatric nurse practitioners, provide outpatient care, and follow-up.

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5. Mental Health Policies and Legislations 

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5. Mental Health Policies and Legislations 

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In 1990, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) addressed mental health policy in Latin America and the Caribbean which has influenced the development of mental health policies in the Caribbean. These policies have focused on mental healthcare in the community, the treatment of the mentally ill in general hospitals, and the provision of psychotropic drugs. One of the challenges faced in the Caribbean is outdated mental health legislations. The majority of these countries inherited legislations from the British colonial government and the existing legislation in the majority of the countries have not been updated since their passage into law in the 1950s and is in need of a revision. The problem with an outdated legislation is that they do not address modern methods of treatment and human rights issues.

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The history of psychiatry and mental health in the Caribbean is similar to other countries around the world, especially to the British model. Between 1850 and 1900 psychiatric institutions, also known as “mad houses” were established so that the mentally ill would be locked away. It was not until 1947 when training of mental health professionals began with the establishment of the faculty of medicine at the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Jamaica. The development of the department of psychiatry at UWI marked the beginning of a Caribbean mental health philosophy.

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Mental health is our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. Also, it helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Similar to everywhere across the world there is a stigma placed on mental health in the Caribbean. There is a perception of mental illnesses being a sign of personal weakness. Mental and substance use disorders are the leading global cause of all nonfatal burden of disease. However, mental health remains a low priority health issue for most Caribbean countries. In the Caribbean there are challenges dealing with the mental health system moving from large mental hospitals to community care.