I was very pleased to learn that mental health issues will be among a number of chronic non-communicable diseases affecting the Cayman Islands that will be addressed at the Fifth National Healthcare Conference to be held at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman from November 20^th to 22^nd.

Heath Minister, Osbourne Bodden, made the announcement at a Press Meeting last Thursday (5) along with other health officials, Jennifer Ahearn and Lizette Yearwood.

“We aim to have this conference be informative and educational, not only for the medical community, but for the general public as well,” the Minister announced.

‘Winning the war against chronic non-communicable diseases’ is the theme of this year’s conference that will focus on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, mental health, respiratory disease, and obesity and others.

A new section will be added to this year’s conference where nonprofit organisations can showcase their services and programmes and Cayman HospiceCare will be one of the participants.

I only hope with the wide ranging subjects, all noteworthy I must add, mental health issues will not get lost in the mix.

When the minister said he is “even more concerned about childhood obesity, with the latest statistics showing 22 percent of schoolchildren are obese” I was hoping he was also going to emphasise the URGENT need for a programme dealing with mental illness in children, as I pointed out in Friday’s editorial.

It would appear the in topic is “childhood obesity”. In my old age and becoming even more cynical the onus of correcting obesity in children is squarely on the parents or guardians and NOT on the government. It doesn’t cost government very much to drum roll the healthy eating message.

However, it is a different story when it comes to mental health issues in children.

With shockingly only one eight-bed unit for adult mental patients in the whole of the Cayman Islands it is ABYSMAL there is ZERO facilities for children and not even one programme!

You could have a whole conference devoted to the Cayman Islands mental health problems together with the almost complete lack of government funding or even understanding of the problem.

Let me share part of a report from the UK Mental Health Foundation of the stigma that affects mental health patients:

People with mental health problems say that the social stigma attached to mental ill health and the discrimination they experience can make their difficulties worse and make it harder to recover.

Mental illness is common. It affects thousands of people in the UK, and their friends, families, work colleagues and society in general.

• One in four people will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives.
• Around one in ten children experience mental health problems.
• Depression affects around one in 12 of the whole population.
• Rates of self-harm in the UK are the highest in Europe at 400 per 100,000.
• 450 million people world-wide have a mental health problem.

Most people who experience mental health problems recover fully, or are able to live with and manage them, especially if they get help early on.

But even though so many people are affected, there is a strong social stigma attached to mental ill health, and people with mental health problems can experience discrimination in all aspects of their lives.

Many people’s problems are made worse by the stigma and discrimination they experience – from society, but also from families, friends and employers.

Nearly nine out of ten people with mental health problems say that stigma and discrimination have a negative effect on their lives.

We know that people with mental health problems are amongst the least likely of any group with a long-term health condition or disability to:

• find work
• be in a steady, long-term relationship
• live in decent housing
• be socially included in mainstream society.

This is because society in general has stereotyped views about mental illness and how it affects people. Many people believe that people with mental ill health are violent and dangerous, when in fact they are more at risk of being attacked or harming themselves than harming other people.

Stigma and discrimination can also worsen someone’s mental health problems, and delay or impede their getting help and treatment, and their recovery. Social isolation, poor housing, unemployment and poverty are all linked to mental ill health. So stigma and discrimination can trap people in a cycle of illness.

The situation is exacerbated by the media. Media reports often link mental illness with violence, or portray people with mental health problems as dangerous, criminal, evil, or very disabled and unable to live normal, fulfilled lives.

This is far from the case.

Research shows that the best way to challenge these stereotypes is through firsthand contact with people with experience of mental health problems.

For more: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/mental-health-a-z/S/stigma-discrimination/

Now that wouldn’t cost government very much to publish that message?

As with all conferences, and unfortunately, the same with any message including the above, they make you aware but do they do anything but just that?