Mental Health in the Caribbean Community

The Caribbean Association of Georgia, Inc. (CAG) has identified mental health as a critical initiative to focus on within the Caribbean community. The primary aim is to increase awareness, reduce stigma, facilitate dialogue, and alleviate misunderstandings regarding mental health, substance abuse, and suicide among the Caribbean population.

The initiative's goal is to eradicate the stigma surrounding mental health in the Caribbean community, primarily due to cultural stigmatization, which makes accessing mental health services challenging. Many first-generation Caribbean-Americans are struggling to adjust to both their home and American lives, with their identity falling somewhere in between which makes it essential to educate mental health professionals on some of the challenges that first-generation Caribbean-Americans face.

Secondly, CAG intends to educate parents on the importance of seeking help for their children's mental health challenges and understanding that seeking help does not equate to madness or weakness. CAG wants to encourage the first-generation Caribbean-Americans to seek help and understand that it is okay to do so. Seeking help demonstrates strength and fortitude.

•     On average, Caribbean countries spend only 4.3 % of their healthcare budgets on mental health services

•  60% of mental health patients in the Caribbean are less likely to have received mental-health treatment or counseling
  
•  On average, Caribbean countries spend only 4.3 % of their healthcare budgets on mental health services

• 60% of mental health patients in the Caribbean are less likely to have received mental-health treatment or counseling