The World Health Organisation’s mental health management guide “Doing what matters in times of stress,” has been adopted for the Caribbean and is now readily accessible for use. It features relatable and simple activities, designed to help people of all ages cope with adversity and better manage stress.
The guide was launched on Friday, January 14, by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), to answer the call to prioritize mental health service delivery.
Mental health services form a key area of the region’s COVID-19 response, particularly because of the many difficulties caused by the pandemic. These include mental pressures associated with job loss, restricted face-to-face education, violence, and illness.
“Unfortunately, many of the existing mental health services have been disrupted because of the pandemic, with people getting less access to counselling, mental health care, and even education where needed – these are all sources of stress that we are facing today, and PAHO has consistently called on countries and societies to prioritize mental health in such difficult times,”Dr. Renato Oliveira Souza, Unit Chief, Mental Health and Substance Use, PAHO/WHO, advised.
The launch featured a panel discussion with Mr. Dean Chambliss, PAHO/WHO Subregional Programme Director, Dr. Claudina Cayetano, Regional Advisor for Mental Health, PAHO/WHO, and Dr. Martin Baptiste, Senior Operations Officer, Social Sector Division, CDB.
The guide can be accessed by clicking on the link below:
https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/54659 and please follow the necessary directions.
