Stigma major obstacle in mental health care

He said: “Mentally ill persons are not labelled, they are not those people, a shift of such debilitating paradigm inevitably signals the genesis of respect and dignity. Every person with mental illness must be treated with dignity and love by the family and community.” With diagnosis and treatment, Gosine said, the mentally ill in most cases can return to productive lives and positive relationships.

He said SWRHA has approximately 10,000 persons registered at their mental health outpatient clinic with an annual projected increase of 1,200 patients including 400 children and adolescents. Gosine added: “Dignity has become the great rallying cry for change in mental health services and public health perception.

Dignity is every individual birthright, but too often persons with mental health challenges have had their dignity taken away by stigma and discrimination, forceful and negative treatment and by silencing. Stigma is still the most formidable obstacle to progress in the arena of mental health.”