THE MINISTRY of Health will shortly be undertaking an educational and promotional programme aimed at reducing the stigma associated with mental disorders and promoting the individual's responsibility to taking care of his own mental health.
This is in keeping with a commitment to deal with the estimated 500,000 individuals or 20 per cent of the Jamaican population living with mental and behavioural disorders and whose "psychiatric conditions impact significantly on social and economic development." The programme is to be funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Health Minister John Junor, in his contribution to the 2002 Sectoral Debate, said mental disorders accounted for about 10 per cent of the total health burden and contributed to the suicide rate, abuse, violence and influenced the development of many chronic diseases.
The Ministry last year developed a five-year strategic plan for mental health that addresses mental health education and promotion and provides adult in-patient services with a continued focus on community mental health, a child and adolescent service and substance abuse control.
Mr. Junor said that during 2001, the community mental health clinics delivered services to 49,998 clients, nine per cent more than in 2000. The larger clientele tended to be in parishes with well developed and or expanding urban centres like St. James, Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Catherine, St. Ann and Clarendon, consistent with world trends where the stress of living in modern urban communities give rise to more mental health problem, he said.
A report on the Jamaica Healthy Lifestyle Study 2001 that was recently launched, noted that 41 per cent of men and 52 per cent of women reported feeling depressed, and depression made worse the progress of diseases such as diabetes and hypertension that have a tremendous impact on all aspects of an individual's life, Mr. Junor said.
Earlier this year, the Ministry announced that persons suffering from chronic mental health problems would be able to obtain cheaper medication through the National Health Fund that is still being established. Mental illness is one of 15 chronic illnesses that is to be covered under the Fund and drugs will be available under the programme at a significantly reduced cost.
Mental illness has been described as devastating in its impact on the population and about one in four patients attending doctors offices and health centres will be affected at one time or another with various forms of mental health problems that are usually under-recognised, under-treated and often ignored.
The Fund, phase one of the long-awaited national health insurance plan, is expected to be financed from about $2.5 billion raised annually from the implementation of a levy of $1.00 on each unit of cigarette and through additional resources to be raised from the National Insurance Scheme.
Mr. Junor said that while the date for the official launch of the Fund has been delayed, "a considerable amount of work has been undertaken to lay the foundation for its establishment."
