A series of public consultations has been hosted in the north and south of the island to ensure that citizens play an active role in shaping the future of mental health services.

Senior Medical Officer Dr Shana Cyr-Philbert stressed the importance of inclusivity in the process.

“Mental health is actually a right of our whole population, and in trying to do this we need to be inclusive,” she said.

She continued: “We need to make sure that everybody has the information about what we’re trying to do, but also that everyone has that opportunity to give information and to get feedback, to voice concerns. We do have many gaps in terms of how mental health is looked at or managed, and we have a vulnerable population, an ageing population, so we want to make sure everybody is part of this process.”

PAHO Country Specialist Theona Anthony explained that the organisation is providing technical assistance to support the government’s review.

“PAHO would be providing the technical support in supporting the ministry to upgrade and review the mental health bill and policy,” Anthony said.

Anthony explained: “So, following a request from the ministry, we put together a necessary technical team to come into Saint Lucia to provide that support. The first mission happened in June, and now we’re on the second mission here to meet with different stakeholders, to help gather the necessary information and feedback as to what people would want to see in the bill and the policy.”

Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Soumitra Pathare underscored the value of mental health policy as a guiding framework for government action.

“People always think of policy as just a piece of paper that is written and forgotten. But it doesn’t have to be so ,and it is not so,” he explained. “If governments are to plan, let’s say if the government were to plan and say, oh, we want to do something more for mental health next year. How do they plan that? They need something to anchor it on. And how do you anchor it? The policy acts as the anchor.”

The consultations are expected to continue, as stakeholders from various sectors contribute to ensuring that Saint Lucia’s mental health legislation and policy meet the needs of its people, particularly its most vulnerable populations.