Belize observes Mental Health Day
The subject of mental health, once confined to the confidentiality of the psychiatrist’s office, is increasingly a matter of public discourse. With today having been declared World Mental Health Day by the United Nations, Belizeans took the opportunity to reflect on what’s happening in our heads. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods was no exception.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Seventy-three year old Casarina Conorquie says she likes being alone, despite the fact that for over twenty years as a diagnosed schizophrenic, she has been living with forty-nine other mental health patients at the Rockview Hospital at mile twenty-one on the Western Highway.
Jacqueline Woods
“What’s life like up at Rockview?”
Casarina Conorquie, Patient, Rockview Institution
“They don’t want us to smoke, but I still smoke cause that is the only enjoyment I have.”
Jacqueline Woods
“You smoke a lot?”
Casarina Conorquie
“I smoke for true.”
Jacqueline Woods
“You know that is bad for your health?”
Casarina Conorquie
“I smoke because I want to go home.”
Jacqueline Woods
“You miss home?”
Casarina Conorquie
“Yes, ma’am. I don’t like people disturb me. I am alone, leave me alone. I like to be by myself, one or two friends I would call and sit down and converse with them and like that. But otherwise, anything they have they give it to me, they would offer me and I offer them when you see I have.”
Mental illness not only affects older persons like Conorquie. Studies conducted by the World Health Organization reveal that children can become mentally ill after they’ve been traumatized. In Belize, children who have been troubled, display their emotions through negative behaviour.
Dr. Roy Lopez, Psychiatrist
“They may end up robbing, stealing, they don’t go to school. They themselves will fight and physically attack other people.”
Jacqueline Woods
“And this is because they have experienced some form of trauma?”
Dr. Roy Lopez
“Correct, that is because they have experienced those horrific things.”
Today, primary school students released one hundred balloons in observance of Mental Health Day. This year, the occasion focuses on the effects of trauma and violence against children and adolescents. Margaret Bradley, a psychiatric nurse at the Cleopatra White Health Centre, says the theme is appropriate when you consider the crime situation on our city streets. As a result, Bradley says they have had to counsel a number of young persons.
Margaret Bradley, Psychiatric Nurse
“Today there are a lot of trauma and violence. You are called at the schools and a lot of children are being affected by it. Sometimes family members do not realize just how much a child is hurt until they start to display certain signs and symptoms.”
During the ceremony this morning at B.T.L. Park, PAHO launched the first World Report on Violence and Health. The report highlights the issue as a public health problem and recommends to PAHO member countries to put into action PAHO’s programme on violence prevention. Dr. Kathleen Israel, who is expected to replace Dr. Graciela Uriburu as PAHO’s representative to Belize, spoke about the measures that will be taken to address the problem.
Dr. Kathleen Israel
“In one of the programmes in Washington, violence prevention is a major thrust of that programme. And that programme is beginning to work with all of the PAHO country representations, and Belize is included in that to sensitise the public as to some of the effects of domestic violence on people within the family, and in particular on children who are the most vulnerable in the families. So you will see, over time, and hopefully during my tenure in Belize, that we will be doing a lot of work along that line.”
While the day concentrated on children and violence, events will continue to be held for mental health patients to help celebrate their week. Conorquie says while she would like to see conditions improve at Rockview, she gives thanks to the staff who have helped to make their life a little bit more comfortable.
Casarina Conorquie
“It want to fix. Some places because of the hurricane, broke up, some places there. To help the Rockview people them and myself and the staff they treat us good. Because sometimes they bring food and things and they eat it in the night and they call us for a little bit.”
Presently there are fifty patients at the Rockview. Reporting for News 5, Jacqueline Woods.
PAHO’s outgoing country representative, Dr. Graciela Uriburu, will return to her native Argentina, but will continue to carry out short term consultancies for the Pan American Health Organisation.
