A lifeline for students

According to coordinator of the clinical psychology masters programme at the University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine campus, Dr Katija Khan, there are more than 400 students on suicide watch at primary and secondary schools across the country. The youngest is just seven years old, she told a joint select committee of Parliament enquiring into the state of mental health services and facilities on Wednesday .

“Suicide is a public health crisis in this country and has extended to the very young and very vulnerable students as well,” she said .

Though there is awareness of how critical the problem is, the system is falling short on follow-up, monitoring, treatment and interventions .

While the State spends billions on healthcare annually ($6.2 billion was apportioned under the 2016-2017 Budget), Khan said there is a glaring lack of child and adolescent mental health services in TT. Medically, if a child is injured and is suicidal he/she can be admitted to a hospital, she said .

“Past that, there is very little that is available,” the coordinator said. “With respect to psychological and counselling services there is very little that is available.” Services currently available include two child guidance clinics, one on Pembroke Street, Port of Spain and the other in Pleasantville, San Fernando, operating under the aegis of the South West Regional Health Authority .

An aggravating factor is the fact that the UWI is currently unable to provide training in child psychology which is in demand not just in this country, but also in the region. Efforts must be made to promote scholarships in this area for people interested in pursuing their studies abroad in light of the closure of the programme .

We have no doubt that the Secondary Entrance Assessment plays a role in setting the stage for mental health issues in our youth .

The annual ritual, with its intense preparation and heated emotion, is stressful for adults, far worse children. However, we concur with Khan who noted there needs to be further study of this specific issue. Indeed, the Ministry of Education has an obligation to partner with stakeholders to examine this matter as part of its constant review of the overall education system .

But there is a role for the wider society in this .

Too often people are afraid to talk about their mental health issues due to all sorts of pressures and expectations. For instance, men may feel discussion of emotions is an affront to their masculinity .

Women, afraid of being perceived as weak or overly temperamental, may bend over backwards to downplay their feelings .

There are too many gender stereotypes at work when it comes to how we handle what is a medical issue .

And it is this that needs to be addressed. The instances of devastating suicide show us that mental health matters should have the same primacy as matters of life and death. The impact of a single death cannot be overestimated .

When someone falls victim to suicide, entire families and communities are irreparably damaged. The trauma can persist long after the loved one is gone, doing untold harm. Not only is productivity harmed but, more importantly, great promise is lost, left unfulfilled .

Let us heed the warnings of Khan and do more to give our students a lifeline .