Belize’s Approach to Mental Health Grows Stronger Each Year

Recently, Belize joined the global celebration of World Mental Health Day on October tenth. This annual event is a chance to raise awareness about the challenges people face in maintaining their mental health and to encourage everyone to help end the stigma surrounding it. This year’s theme highlighted the importance of prioritizing mental health in the workplace, emphasizing that mental health should be a priority in all aspects of life. In this episode of Belize on Reel, News Five’s Britney Gordon spoke with the team behind the National Mental Health Program to explore the resources available in Belize for those seeking help.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Mental health stigma is a global issue, fueled by cultural beliefs, lack of education, and insufficient resources for those in need. But mental health is just as important as physical health, and the Belize National Mental Health Program is on a mission to change that narrative. In the past, patients with different needs were all sent to Rockview Hospital, but now there’s a push for more tailored and compassionate care.

 

Ivette Quintanilla, Mental Health Coordinator, MOHW

“The Mental Health Program in Belize has come a long way. Before we used to have Seaview Hospital in Belize City  and then that was moved to Rockview Hospital in Rockville.  Patients used to be admitted there. Persons who had problems with the law were referred there as well. If patients were in an acute crisis, they were also referred there. So. It was like having everybody with a mental disorder being sent to Rockview Hospital.”

 

Now fifteen years later, Belize has moved away from placing patients in institutions.  They are now referred to the Palm View Center in Belmopan. This residential care facility offers a home for patients without family support, allowing them to live together, build a community, and regain their independence. Ivette Quintanilla explains that the country is making strides to ensure mental health resources are both accessible and welcoming for those in need.

 

Ivette Quintanilla

“We have moved now to a more of a community and type based of service that we offer.  We have mental health clinics in all the districts with psychiatric nurse practitioners providing the services along with psychiatrists. We get the support from Cuba. And in Belize City, we also have our main psychiatrist, Dr. Matus, who works there as well.  We have a few psychotherapists that also provide counseling services, and a social worker that also provides support when it comes to the family.” 

 

Reaching out for help can be intimidating. This is due, in part, to the stigma that surrounds it. However, it is a step in the right direction. Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Amy Link explains how they assist someone experiencing symptoms of anxiety.

 

Amy Link, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

“Reaching out to get psychiatric assistance is very nerve wracking. We do try and promote that, the information that you provide here will be secure and will be safe. And at any moment, if you’re not ready to speak up anything in your life, it is on your pace. So the anxious feeling now, when it comes to the symptoms, we do not just jump to a diagnosis. It is. Or jump to prescribing medication because often we have to see what are the triggers in your life that can be altered or sometimes those feelings are signs that our body is communicating with us about there’s something that needs to be addressed.”

 

September Tenth is usually a day of celebration in Belize, but it’s also a time to raise awareness for World Suicide Prevention Day. This year, the activities included a glow run and a candlelight vigil where people shared their personal stories of struggling with mental health and how they overcame those challenges. October tenth is recognized as World Mental Health Day. Link explains how this year’s events reinforced the message that mental health and physical health are deeply connected.

 

Amy Link

“The theme for World Mental Health Day was to prioritize mental health in the workplace. So our activities were  really focusing in on those within the work field. And for Western Regional, we provided and also the community. We had yoga classes done by Frida. We had Zumba classes done by Ms. McKean. And we had massage day done with the organic spa. And even meditation done by Yuhan. So these individuals did all this for our workers and individuals in the community, free of cost. And it promoted the basic means of which we can make those changes in our life within our control to bring mental health into our life improved.”

 

As part of the celebrations, the Mental Health Department curated a serene space dedicated to meditation and relaxation. This room served as a respite for staff to unwind and rejuvenate, offering a tranquil escape designed to alleviate stress and promote well-being.

 

Ivette Quintanilla

“Our aim throughout the country was to provide activities trying to teach about how to manage stress and the importance of self care.  As well, it is important to start with that management when it comes to making these changes. It all starts with each individual person recognizing that all of us have mental, mental health.  And we need to work on ourselves first before we can provide that support within our businesses, within our other ministries. In order for us to promote mental well being in with our staff. Because we know that when, when we are not mentally healthy, it leads to burnout. It leads to absenteeism at work.” 

 

Changing the narrative on mental health in Belize is a long journey, but there’s a movement underway. And it’s a movement that grows stronger with each passing year.

 

Ivette Quintanilla

“One of my biggest wishes is that we can reach more people, that people can be more cognizant of their mental health that we can decrease the stigma and discrimination and people become aware that they do not need to suffer in silence, that there is help. And it’s just a matter of them reaching out to us and for that help to be provided.”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.