Schools, NGOs partner to help children cope amid growing post-storm stress

With hundreds of mental health cases already reported before Hurricane Melissa struck, professionals now fear a surge as communication lines reopen and more Jamaicans seek help.

Already, several Jamaicans – especially those in the west – are grappling with homelessness, joblessness, and deep uncertainty about their future. But according to Dr Kevin Goulbourne, head of the Ministry of Health’s Mental Health Unit, the most serious impacts may still lie ahead.

“At this stage, many people are still in disbelief. Some people still refuse to go to shelter even though their homes have been reduced to rubble. Some persons are very anxious and apprehensive over what will happen in the future. At the moment, persons are really in survival mode,” said Goulbourne.

He noted that people are focused on basic needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter, and that the full emotional weight of their losses has not yet registered. While outside assistance is creating hope for now, he warned that support must be sustained, particularly for people already diagnosed with mental illnesses who depend on ongoing medication.

Goulbourne cautioned that anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder are likely to increase over time, especially once residents accept that their livelihoods have vanished. Children remain among the most vulnerable, he added, pointing out that many were still recovering from the upheaval caused by Hurricane Beryl last year.

Concerns are also rising at the Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA). Even before Hurricane Melissa, the OCA recorded more than 800 mental health–related cases, most involving children ages 13 to 15.

Anna-Maria Dawkins-Johnson, manager of SafeSpot – the OCA’s national child and teen helpline, created five years ago in response to COVID-19 disruptions – said the number of cases is expected to climb once students in the hardest-hit parishes regain Internet access and can contact the service.

“In the last two months, we have seen an uptick in mental health needs. Last month alone, we had over 800 contacts and the majority of those have reached out for mental health support. This was prior to the storm, so we are anticipating that that trend is going to move upwards once the students have access to any sort of Internet,” she said.

For now, most calls have come from the Corporate Area, St Catherine, and Manchester. Dawkins-Johnson said children often report family conflicts, concerns about caregivers, and fear for their family’s well-being. She expects heightened depression, anxiety, and exam-related stress in the months ahead.

She emphasised the importance of resilience-building and sustained support for adolescents, noting that SafeSpot’s 20 agents respond to calls and messages around the clock.

“Academics is important, but if the child cannot balance success and sanity, then they are not going to be productive members of society,” she said, adding that 20 agents respond to calls and messages from troubled children 24/7 as part of the SafeSpot programme.

Yesterday’s initiative – supported by Mindfulness Jamaica, Chevening, the British High Commission, UNICEF, and the Ministry of Health – brought together 50 Jonathan Grant High School students for sessions on mental health, responsible AI use, social media management, digital stress, and life-skills training.

Meanwhile, Goulbourne said the Mental Health Unit continues to deploy teams of up to 40 people to the most heavily affected parishes, including St Elizabeth, St James, Trelawny, and Hanover, providing both physical and psychological support and referring individuals for further care when needed.

“We just have to try to see how we connect with each other, support each other, and provide the help for persons with mental illness,” he said.

corey.rbinson@gleanerjm.com