Learning Journal 2

In my home country of Trinidad and Tobago health care is free to all citizens and non citizens alike. Mental

health for many years has been overlooked, for many years. Mental illness is a condition which causes serious

disorder in a persons behavior or thinking. Stigma a mark or disgrace associated with a particular circumstance

quality or person. People often feel uncomfortable with people knowing that they had a mental illness is

embarrassing, like it’s a personal failure or weakness. Nobody wants to talk about mental illness as it’s a taboo

in this day and age but when we bring up this controversial topic everyone has so many different opinions about

it and opinions based on myths cause misconceptions and the stigma around it.

Society is always telling us that mental illness isnt real or its imaginary and that is where the stigma begins.

The St. Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital remains the main public health institution which provides tertiary level

mental health services such as inpatient psychiatry services, child guidance services, forensic psychiatry

services, medical internship, occupational therapy, psychology, physical education, psychiatric social work,

psychiatric outpatient clinics, psychosocial rehabilitation, substance abuse and treatment.

In my country mental health patients are also housed at the San Fernando General Hospital on Ward 1 which

currently has 28 beds. There has been an expansion of community-based mental health services, Extended Care

Centre in my community of Couva where care is provided for psychiatric patients the majority of which come

from the St. Ann’s Hospital and Ward 1 of the San Fernando General Hospital.

There are no criteria for the opening of rehabilitation centers in Trinidad and Tobago. This was pointed out by

Professor Gerard Hutchinson, Head of Psychiatry at the University of the West Indies. The individuals opening

theses establishments simply need to apply for some permission from various authorities including the Ministry

of Health and they should be regulated and regularly inspected.

At medical institution it is believed to be a norm to have violent inmates secured (tied down) and placed in

isolation cells, however the professor has stated that, “chemical restraint is preferable, that is, with

seclusion/isolation are still used in some psychiatric facilities albeit with padding of walls and close

supervision. Based on preceding evidence/information it was concluded that the negative stereotyping of mental

illnesses may contribute to the under-reporting and low-diagnosing of mental illnesses within our population.

Mental health professionals confirmed that this phenomenon was evident from the avoidance of the health

system, the lack of awareness of mental health services available and an inability to recognize as symptoms. A
psychologist called Norman Spencer said that mental health is not a destination but a process, it’s about how

you drive not where youre going.