Mental health situation at crisis level, says Dr. Harding – urges Government intervention

“We are in serious trouble…that’s why you are seeing so many murders and anger and rage and frustration.” -Dr Harding

By Leon Suseran

Dr. Faith Harding

The National Psychiatric Hospital is failing to fulfill its purpose as an institution that is tasked with treating the nation’s mentally ill.

At least this is the view of psychotherapist Dr. Faith Harding, who also believes that the ‘emotional chaos’ that Guyana is experiencing is filtering down to its citizens.

The veteran mental health practitioner questioned whether there are smaller agencies and institutions that can assist with mental health treatments in Guyana.

“Look at the Mental Hospital in Canje…it is disgraceful,” she said, “That shows you the mental state of our nation; it shows you that there is little care—it should be the best- looking institution, with the best- looking lawns with an environment that encourages good health. You go there and it bruises your eyes—not only the physical eyes, but the brain!”

Mental health, she opined, is not given that priority as physical health is given in Guyana, “because a physical illness you might be able to fix very easily—mental health, you don’t see it until something critical happens.”

Dr. Harding mentioned a mother who was going to murder all of her children and herself, due to mental crisis. “And it got so bad…who is taking care of her mental health—because she has two children.”

She added that there seems to be a disconnect with people, their diseases and the services being offered in Guyana.

“Everywhere you go, you see this tension, anger and rage in people….you see it through the drinking of alcohol in excess; in sexual activities; in our teenagers who are confused, depressed; we see it in the five- year- olds who are depressed, and people don’t recognize that as early as five years of age, they can be depressed, and going through a lot of anxieties.”

Dr. Harding suggests that mental health programmes should be taught at the University of Guyana (UG) and Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE). “They must not graduate, unless they understand some mental health issues that they have to deal with when they get into the classroom.”

The health centres, too, must also have units that deal with mental health, “because you know it is something very serious.” No health centre should be without a mental health practitioner twice per week or every single day, “for pregnant mothers and families and for any disorder/disease/complaint…you must have mental health attached to it.”

Dr. Harding also suggested that Health Centres be located within close proximity of nursery schools and day- care centres.

Guyana, she added, has the highest suicide rate in the Caribbean and fourth per capita in the world.

“We Guyanese who used to be so peaceful; who used to be so hospitable? And then you also have a situation of the consumption of alcohol, which was measured by the World Health Organization (WHO), showing that Guyana has the highest consumption in this region and fourth highest in the world, when you got nations that have been drinking all this wine and stuff for centuries and Guyana noted for the highest consumption of alcohol?”

She added that alcohol and marijuana affect the brain. “Because of its popularity in the health sector, people think marijuana is a good drug, but it isn’t…it interferes with memory and memory- loss in the children’s minds…the teenagers who are trying it out—it enters the frontal lobe where cognitive function takes place and grows—that area, too, is not developed until men are 25!”

“Because of the chaotic nature of this country for the past two or three years, we are in serious trouble with the individual and that’s why the stats are going off—that is why you are seeing so many murders, and anger, and rage, and frustration, children failing in school and they will write 22 subjects—that ain’t saying nothing to me because I don’t know what they will do with it after…..to do what? It expands the brain? It expands their possibilities?”

She also touched on people’s diets and how it makes them fall into a spectrum of autism. “You have people behaving schizophrenic because the chemicals they are putting in their body doesn’t match what they are supposed to be having in their bodies, and so, it sends off the chemical balance of their bodies.”

Dr. Harding believes that mental health should rise to its rightful place and people should be trained properly and “we have got to be licensing people as well so they don’t destroy people’s lives.”

Government, she believes, must work with other stakeholders like universities and private sector to fund mental health studies, “because you are in crisis…you no longer have the luxury to say we no longer have to take care of mental health…because it’s going to come full frontal face to you and each individual is going to feel the impact of the crisis that we are in as a nation.”

She also noted that persons may feel stigmatized and ashamed to access treatment for mental health; however we have to work on these situations. “Because just as you need physical health, you need mental health, and that area [mental] health is more critical.”

She put forth an example that someone could be thinking very straight and organized but their entire outlook and thought processes are changed when they experience a spike in their blood sugar level.

Dr. Harding also voiced concern about the influx of energy-boosting drinks and other products which can stimulate individuals suffering from depression and other anxieties. “Every drink now has some energy notice on it—how it would stimulate you, because you don’t have enough serotonin….you have people with all kinds of diseases, not paying attention, and now the young people, to get stimulated, they are chasing rum and other alcohol with these  energy drinks—now what would that do to your brain?”tal)