Mental Health Awareness Month serves as an important reminder that mental health is just as essential as physical health. Across Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, conversations surrounding emotional well-being, stress, anxiety, depression, and psychological support are becoming increasingly necessary as more people silently struggle with mental and emotional challenges.

According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), mental and substance use disorders remain among the leading causes of disability in the Americas.

More than 100,000 people in the region died by suicide in 2021, while over 77 per cent of persons living with mental health conditions, in Latin America and the Caribbean, do not receive the care they need.