The Editor, Sir:

About 10 per cent of the population will suffer from a mental health illness or problem in any one year. It is high time that the Church worked at understanding mental illness and ceased from either judging or trying to find some absurd solution.

One per cent of the population suffers from schizophrenia. It is time society realised the media hype about 'knife-wielding people loose in society' is not true. Most sufferers are helped by medication.

Christians need to stop connecting mental illness to sin in a person's life or lack of faith in God. Some Christians even link mental illness to possession by demons.

It is high time the Church play a significant role in offering love, acceptance, understanding and a feeling of belonging to persons who suffer from mental illness.

I am, etc.,

ELHAM H.M. BOGLE

8 Andrea Place

Kingston 19