Jamaica graduates 210 volunteers for community mental health intervention

Jamaica now has the benefit of its first batch of Problem Management Plus (PM+) graduates, as the Ministry of Health and Wellness moves to bolster community-based mental wellness interventions islandwide.

The 210 volunteers, who are from community- and faith-based organisations, graduated from the programme as PM+ providers (162) and supervisors (48) on Thursday. 

PM+, which was developed and is supported by the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO), is designed to bring mental health support services to communities, meeting people where they are, while providing them with the space and the tools to overcome adversity that can impact their mental wellness.

Also at the graduation, PAHO donated $4.2 million worth of 40 tablet computers to the programme. The devices are to support to support data collection, monitoring and evaluation as the programme is rolled out in communities.

“We are at long last paying attention to an issue that we in public health have known has been a critical issue for years and years… It brings me great encouragement to have so many people committed to this really important public health topic,” said Ian Stein, PAHO/WHO Representative to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

Senator Dr Saphire Longmore,consultant psychiatrist with The University Hospital of the West Indies, was guest speaker at the event. 

The graduation of the problem management volunteers comes amid news that Jamaica recorded a 26 per cent increase in the number of persons who took their lives in 2022 compared with the previous year. 

The 2022 Economic and Social Survey Jamaica released in July said 64 suicides were recorded in 2022, moving up from 51 in 2021. 

Males accounted for 90.6 per cent of victims.

Jamaica's suicide rate of just over two per 100,000 of the population remains well below the global average of 9.2 per 100,000. 

For more information on PM+ and/or to access mental wellness support, persons may call the Ministry's Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Helpline at 888-NEW-LIFE (888- 639-5433).

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