Dr Paul Blake | Time to consider Jamaican children’s mental health

Take a preventative and not a reactive approach

As Jamaica observes Child Month under the theme “Prioritising Our Children’s Mental Health: Strong Minds, Safer Future,” we are called to address a critical issue facing our children. This theme is timely and relevant, reminding us that a child’s future depends not only on academic achievement and basic needs but also on mental health, emotional well-being, relationships, and a sense of safety.

Too often in Jamaica, we discuss children’s behaviour without considering its underlying causes. Anger may signal grief, withdrawal may indicate anxiety, and disruptive behaviour may reflect overwhelm. Academic struggles can stem from emotional burdens that are not immediately visible. If we only address outward behaviour and ignore emotional needs, we risk treating symptoms while neglecting the root causes.

This is why Jamaica needs a dedicated National Kids Mental Health Day. On this day, we can organise school assemblies and workshops focused on emotional well-being, offer free mental health screenings for children, and invite professionals to speak with parents and caregivers about signs of distress. Community centres and churches can host safe spaces for children to share their feelings and learn coping skills. Media campaigns can help destigmatise mental health and highlight available resources for families. By creating a practical platform for dialogue, education, intervention, and support, National Kids Mental Health Day would move the conversation beyond awareness to meaningful action.

This day should be more than a symbolic observance. It must serve as a national opportunity for education, screening, awareness, advocacy, and action. For example, schools can host workshops on emotional regulation, peer support, and self-care, inviting psychologists and counsellors to lead sessions for students, teachers, and parents. Churches might organise special services or open forums where families can discuss mental health in a safe, supportive environment. Families could participate in letter-writing campaigns or community art projects expressing the importance of mental health. Health professionals and community leaders might organise child-friendly mental health fairs, offer free check-ins or consultations, and set up information booths about available resources. Youth organisations might stage performances, debates, or creative contests around the theme of mental health. 

Policymakers could use the day to hold public consultations or panel discussions about child mental health policies and services. By highlighting these specific activities, we help ensure that schools, churches, families, health professionals, community leaders, youth organisations, and policymakers unite around one message: our children’s mental health is as important as their physical health and must be protected accordingly.

Mental health has long been viewed as an adult concern, yet many emotional and behavioural challenges begin in childhood. In Jamaica, recent studies show that nearly one in five children presents with significant symptoms of anxiety or depression before age 16. Reports from the Ministry of Health have also indicated an increase in youth cases involving self-harm, suicide attempts, and behavioural outbursts over the past five years. Teachers have reported a rise in classroom disruptive behaviour, while guidance counsellors across the island continue to highlight their students’ unmet emotional needs. Issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, attention difficulties, grief, aggression, emotional dysregulation, and low self-worth can affect children before they can articulate their experiences. Ignoring these problems does not resolve them; instead, they often manifest later as violence, school dropout, substance abuse, risky behaviour, poor relationships, and ongoing emotional struggles.

A National Kids Mental Health Day would help Jamaica move from a reactive to a preventive approach. In fact, similar observances have been established in other countries and have demonstrated positive outcomes. For example, the United States recognises Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week in May, which has successfully increased access to resources, reduced stigma, and prompted policy changes to support youth mental health. In the United Kingdom, Children’s Mental Health Week, launched by Place2Be, has raised national awareness, encouraged donations to child-focused mental health services, and encouraged schools to implement new well-being programs. These international models show that dedicating a national day to children’s mental health can be impactful and achievable, offering Jamaica a roadmap to follow.

Such a day would encourage the creation of safe spaces for children to express themselves, help parents distinguish between discipline and emotional neglect, and challenge communities to stop shaming children for their struggles. It would also urge the Government to invest in school-based mental health services, guidance counselling, child psychologists, social workers, trauma-informed teacher training, and community referral systems.

We cannot build a safer Jamaica while neglecting our children’s emotional well-being. Many adult social problems originate in childhood pain, neglect, trauma, and disconnection. To create safer communities, we must raise emotionally healthy children. To improve classrooms, we must support students’ mental health. To strengthen our nation, we must prioritise children’s mental health.

This Child Month theme must become more than a slogan. It should inform policy, guide school practices, spark family conversations, inspire church and community engagement, and drive national commitment. To move from intention to action, I urge schools to designate a weekly “Wellness Hour” for students to discuss feelings, learn coping skills, and access guidance and support. Churches can organise parent workshops focused on recognising signs of emotional distress and supporting children with compassion. Families might commit to regular check-ins with their children, creating open dialogue around emotions at home. By taking these specific steps, we can translate awareness into meaningful results for every child.

Children need protection from external dangers and support for their internal struggles. Telling a child to “toughen up” does not build resilience. Instead, strong minds are developed through safety, love, structure, attentive listening, emotional education, early intervention, and professional support when necessary.

Jamaica should establish a National Kids’ Mental Health Day because our children deserve to be recognised and supported, not only for their achievements and good behaviour, but also when they are quietly struggling.

If we are committed to building a safer future, we must start by protecting the mental health of the children who will inherit it.

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Dr. Paul A. Blake, PsyD, is a Pediatric Psychologist