Mental Health Seminars commence by the Public Service Department in Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia: The Employee Assistance Programme Unit (EAP), within the Public Service Department, on September 1, commenced a series of mental health seminars targeted at public sector male employees.

The exercise is designed to reach male employees within the public sector to provide education and sensitisation on the importance of developing and maintaining good mental health practices.

According to Patrick Fearon, EAP counsellor and seminar facilitator, the information imparted will help participants develop a better appreciation for taking care of their mental health.

To decentralise its services, the Employee Assistance Programme Unit will be hosting the first set of mental health seminars at the Philip Marcellin Grounds in Vieux-Fort, specifically for public sector male employees based in the south of the island.

The EAP Mental Health Seminar series will run from September to October to coincide with World Mental Health Day, observed on October 10. This year’s theme is “Make Mental Health and Well-Being for All a Global Priority”.

World Mental Health Day is the day, celebrated annually, which aims to raise awareness about global mental health education and advocates against social stigma. For the first time the day was celebrated in 1992. It is managed and hosted by the World Federation for Mental Health which os a global mental health organisation with members in over 150 countries.

On this day, hundreds of thousands of supporters come together to become a part of the awareness program, which is celebrated annually. The programs are celebrated to bring attention to mental illness and its major effects on people’s lives worldwide.