An island-wide effort can support mental health work

Daniel Cavanagh, a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, is conducting island-wide research into the mental health of secondary school students (File photo)

A shadow minister and former prime minister have highlighted how joint community efforts can help tackle mental health problems after attending an “eye-opening” conference on the issue.

Ben Smith, MP for the One Bermuda Alliance, and Sir John Swan, who led the country from 1982 to 1995 as leader of the United Bermuda Party, were in a speech where the findings of the youth survey shared.

Tuesday’s meeting was the third of its kind since last month and was attended by parents, teachers, school children and politicians, including Tinée Furbert, Minister of Youth, Social Development and Elders.

Daniel Cavanagh, a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne and a leading researcher on youth mental health in Bermuda, said dealing with stigma would be the most difficult problem for young people on the island.

He added that providing more treatment resources, better mental health resources and more collaboration between schools and health care providers will help over time.

Sir John praised the research team and said better funding was needed for psychologists and mental health providers.

He said: “The government has no money—if you knock on that door, you will be knocking for a long time.

“We have to cooperate with the private sector, and if you make this a public issue, then the private sector will be there.”

Mr. John also said: “We must look at how they will connect with the community and develop part of its operations.

“We have to teach Bermuda again.”

Mr Smith, Shadow Minister for Homeland Security and Education, described the Warwick Academy forum as a huge “eye-opener” for him.

He said it is “scary” to hear the level of anxiety and depression that can occur in young people.

Mr. Smith added that it helps to explain why most of the girls who were abused and broken bones in their lives sometimes end up in prison when they are grown up.

He said: “I think what I have seen here is that it will take cooperation across the community to fix the issues that are happening.”

Mr Cavanagh and Shawnee Basden, a psychologist, conducted a survey last academic year in 15 schools that involved 2,716, or 76 percent of middle school students.

The study’s findings were published on May 7 and showed that 31 percent of children between the ages of ten and 19 have symptoms of depression.

About 25 percent of the same age group reported anxiety and 20 percent indicated they were both infected.

Bermuda’s frequency of adolescent mental illness was 5 to 6 percent higher than the world average. Mr Cavanagh revealed on Tuesday that the number had more than doubled during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said many of the issues stem from the pressure placed on young people switching between in-person and online learning during the pandemic.

Other factors included self-doubt from social media, being overwhelmed by technology and bullying.

The symptoms are weighted by race, age and gender, Mr Cavanagh said.

He added that girls, Black students and minority students are more likely to experience depression and anxiety.

The researcher said that the most common thing that prevents young people from seeking help is embarrassment, while 62 percent of those studied said it was the cause.

Mr. Cavanagh explained this problem to stigma, which he says is caused by a lack of understanding of how mental problems are dealt with.

He added that the stigma against mental health issues has been a roadblock in Bermuda for at least 30 years and is more likely to affect Black and male children.

Mr Cavanagh said: “If you have a stigma where you’re worried about what other people think, when you go to treatment, it’s not going to work as well.

“Not only are you dealing with the symptoms of the problem, but you’re also trying to deal with trying to fight that stigma, so half of your efforts will be fighting this anxiety.”

He said the best way to combat stigma against mental illness is to spread awareness of its prevalence, causes and proper treatment methods.

Mr Cavanagh added that fighting stigma with accurate information would not only tackle prejudice but destroy misinformation.

Mental health first aid training has also helped reduce stigma, Mr Cavanagh said, along with education about the warning signs of anxiety and depression and how to deal with these situations.

Mr Cavanagh said he hoped to put together a Bermuda-centric model to tackle the stigma of mental illness at its roots and direct resources to the most vulnerable groups.

Sandy De Silva, from the Family Centre, reminded parents and teachers at the meeting that they don’t need to have all the answers when approaching young people with concerns.

He emphasized that it is important to show compassion and understanding before referring a young person to other resources.