Cultural Currents: How Mental Health Stigma Persists in the Caribbean

Zanoah Plummer

The Caribbean is as quiet as it is beautiful, but its silence is loud when it comes to mental health.

Due to the cultural and ethnic diversity of the Caribbean, mental health is a complex topic. While all people living the Caribbean regardless of race share a culture, the microcosms within the islands have produced distinct reasons for why mental health is stigmatized.

Some islands believe it is an affliction only bestowed unto White people. Other islands take the religious standpoint of mental health stigmatization. 

Regardless, a common thought amongst all the islands and archipelagos is that mental health is something that is either shameful or not to be taken seriously.

It's not uncommon to hear that mental health is not as serious as physical ailments, which makes it less important. Caribbean people who are struggling report saying that they won’t seek help because mental health is ‘too personal’ of a topic to discuss with a loved one or a counselor.

Mental health stigmatization is only furthered by the lack of resources available for mental health. In fact, on average, only 4.3% of a Caribbean nation’s healthcare budget is spent on mental health resources.

The lack of funding for mental health resources only complicates the matter. What exists is not much, and is not of the quality that meets everyone’s needs. Caribbean governments do not seem to find it a pressing enough matter to deserve more funding or dedication either.

This lack of urgency for mental health funding in the Caribbean is having a drastic effect on those who are struggling. Mental health not being considered ‘serious enough’ is amongst one of the higher reasons why Caribbean adolescents are not seeking the support services they need. 

The nonchalant attitude towards those who are struggling has meshed with the broader reasons for stigmatization and has in turn created a compound issue when it comes to mental health in the Caribbean.

Being labeled as ‘crazy’ results in someone being looked at as lesser, often for the bulk of their life. The lack of understanding pushes individuals further away from support services, which would remedy their issues before they worsened.

People have become so afraid of shunning and ostracization for being open with their mental health to the point they are effectively shunning themselves. Someone who is afraid to speak to their loved ones about their mental health may avoid conversation at all, due to fear they could say something that reveals how they truly feel. 

The stigma has feeded into itself and has created a never-ending loop of issues. People feel unsupported if they are honest, which results in them not speaking out, and in turn worsens their mental health and further drives home stigma.

Open conversations about mental wellbeing is a must for Caribbean families. The best way to prevent stigmatization at the household level is to be open and honest with one another. Mental illness only thrives in silence due to the isolation it causes. Saying nothing can be as harmful as overt degradation.

Starting at a familial level at destigmatizing mental health could have an effect through greater Caribbean society. By starting with smaller, easy conversations about mental wellbeing, we can all influence each other into looking at mental health as important.

Caribbean governments and lawmakers should find more importance in mental health funding and resources. Its importance is not only amongst the happiness of civilians. Mental health costs Latin America and the Caribbean around $30 billion USD annually. By investing money into mental health resources, nations can recuperate some of the loss while also improving the lives of millions.

Mental health should not cost someone their reputation, their family, nor their home. Caribbean nations and people alike must work towards a sustainable plan to stop the stigma.

Sources From:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10497129/

https://www.nesta.org.uk/blog/tackling-mental-health-in-the-caribbean/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10497129/

https://www.unicef.org/cuba/en/press-releases/over-us30-billion-lost-economies-latin-america-and-caribbean-each-year-due-youth