Undoubtedly, many Belizeans who suffer from mental health conditions seek treatment. Violence and crimes – including suicide attempts – are all too frequent.
News Five recently reported on an encounter between police and an individual suffering from schizophrenia who was holding a knife, as well as his family members, that resulted in violence being directed against this vulnerable population. Unfortunately, such individuals can often be subjected to abusive treatment from family members – sometimes leading to violent deaths as a result.
The State of Mental Health Treatment and Awareness in Belize
Belize, where many have reported being victimized due to mental health issues, faces an uphill struggle when it comes to accessing treatment and living their best lives. Therefore, education about symptoms and signs associated with mental illnesses as well as decreasing stigmatization associated with them must become priority number one for Belizeans.
One way the Government of Belize is working to enhance its mental health care system is through new training initiatives for nurses. Aiming to prevent burnout among healthcare workers (HCWs), an enhanced training program has been designed for nurses that teaches them how to recognize and respond to mental health crises – this new approach especially benefits those unfamiliar with mental illness who may feel uncertain or intimidated when approaching it for help.
Belizean government efforts are also improving psychiatric care services by offering better resources to treat adolescents with behavioral issues, including a new facility at Western Regional Hospital which offers acute psychiatric treatments – one of only a few hospitals nationwide providing this type of service – providing families of children who suffer emotional disorders access to help in their community.
As part of its continued efforts to strengthen police services, the government has also initiated training designed to enable officers to manage mental health issues effectively and manage situations where individuals may become violent or threaten police officers. This is an essential step, given instances in the past when police used excessive force when confronting individuals with mental illness issues.
According to WHO’s country profile on mental health resources, Belize devotes less than three percent of its health budget to mental health resources. However, its government has adopted an innovative community-oriented mental health vision which is being put into practice creatively.
Attaining this goal has been made possible through the introduction of psychiatric nurse practitioners – graduate nurses with an expertise in psychiatric nursing who work alongside psychiatrists in treating patients. Additionally, UNICEF and the Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation, and Poverty Alleviation have conducted a community gang assessment to identify key drivers that contribute to youth involvement in gangs. UNICEF will also conduct a MICS Plus study starting in 2019 that will assess adolescent health and wellbeing among Belize’s adolescents; this longitudinal survey allows UNICEF to collect rich and detailed data regarding indicators such as child health and nutrition, early childhood development, economic empowerment, and economic empowerment.
The Availability of Mental Health Services
As Belize suffers from an insufficient supply of doctors and healthcare providers in general, mental health services must become even more central to care provision. Unfortunately, stigma surrounding mental illness prevents many people from seeking assistance and even those that do seek assistance often don’t receive access to the appropriate services.
The mhGAP-IG training workshops are part of an ongoing initiative to increase access to mental health services in Belize. Primary care providers attending these sessions will receive training on how to recognize and address patients with mental illnesses or psychosocial concerns; additionally, participants will learn how to refer these patients for professional evaluation or referral to other health care professionals if necessary.
Other initiatives have also been put in place to meet the mental health needs of Belizeans. The Ministry of Health is working on this by increasing funding for mental health services and creating an access system that ensures accessibility of treatment.
For instance, the Ministry is working to increase the availability of psychiatric beds in Belize as well as providing new treatment options, including community-based care. Such initiatives aim to make healthcare systems accessible and comprehensively address all aspects of a person’s life.
Through these efforts, Belize’s government is making strides to improve mental health in Belize; however, much remains to be done to reduce the stigma around mental illness and ensure everyone can access appropriate health care.
Violence, crime, and deaths related to mental health are too frequent in Belize; therefore they must be dealt with immediately.
Presently, Belize only has one hospital that offers inpatient psychiatric services, while six more hospitals feature both an on-site psychiatric nurse practitioner as well as one who travels out to communities to provide mental health services 1.
These efforts are part of an ongoing campaign by the government to strengthen healthcare in Bangladesh. Plans include expanding access to mental healthcare providers for those suffering from mental illness as well as introducing an app designed specifically for them.
Additionally, the Ministry of Health has initiated a national awareness campaign that emphasizes the significance of seeking professional help when experiencing mental health problems. Furthermore, employers are encouraged to prioritize employee mental well-being for healthier and more productive workplace environments.
Initiatives to Reduce Stigma
Latin America and the Caribbean suffer a high prevalence of mental disorders that take a severe toll on those affected, their families, and society in general. According to one estimate from 1990, 8.8% of the disease burden in this region could be attributed to psychiatric disorders; with high annual rates for anxiety disorders, alcohol abuse/dependence, major depression/dysthymia/and nonaffective psychotic disorders.
Belize’s government is taking steps to combat stigma and discrimination associated with mental health conditions by raising awareness, encouraging discussion, and providing access to services. Furthermore, steps have been taken to enhance mental healthcare quality such as creating a train-the-trainers program and expanding access to medications.
Stigma remains an issue among youths. To combat this, the #DoYourStigma campaign was initiated as an effort to break the silence around mental health issues and encourage young people to reach out and support one another. Green benches have also been installed across the country as reminders of this call to action.
Additionally, this year the Ministry of Health and Wellness collaborated with PAHO/WHO, EU, and other international partners to formally unveil an updated National Mental Health Policy which ensures alignment with current international best practices such as those outlined by WHO’s Plan of Action on Mental Health 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals.
The new policy fosters and protects the human rights of individuals living with mental health conditions by recognizing their inherent dignity, prioritizing their well-being, and providing full participation across all aspects of society. Furthermore, it calls for an accessible system for promotion, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery that prioritizes vulnerable populations.
Though both law and constitution prohibit arbitrary arrest and detention, media reports reveal that the Belize Police Department (BPD) conducts house raids, detains, and arrests people suspected of involvement with criminal gangs on an ongoing basis – often breaching due process rights, often amounting to physical mistreatment and even torture in certain instances.
To address this issue, a mental health train-the-trainers program was created to strengthen primary care providers’ confidence in providing high-quality care to people living with mental disorders in Caribbean settings. The online program utilizes Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) rapid cycle learning improvement as part of its delivery with both online and in-person training sessions conducted simultaneously. Participants provided biweekly feedback regarding its content, tools used, successes/challenges encountered, impacts on practice as well as cultural/contextual suitability from participants and participants completed it all together 81 primary care providers have completed it since its creation!
