UNICEF conducts Regional Psychological First Aid for children in the Caribbean

UNICEF Eastern Caribbean has made it clear in recent time that the organisation is cognizant of the psychological issues faced by children in the Caribbean, making it a top priority. The rise of psychological issues among children has been a problem most regions in the world are grappling with today and the Caribbean is no different.

To tackle the issue in the Caribbean specifically, UNICEF has enlisted the support of USAID Eastern and Southern Caribbean, to conduct a Regional Psychological First Aid for children with 10 nations and some territories in Barbados.

The event also included a Train the Trainer– Capacity Building Workshop focusing on focal points. The sessions highlighted the need for a holistic approach to child psychology and mental health. The most important aspects of this are recognizing the psychological needs of children, effectively providing support to them and managing referrals efficiently.

Hence, the aim of the sessions was to inculcated the best possible practices in these regards with in practitioners, while also spreading the awareness necessary to tackle this issue on a larger scale.

The participants now have the requisite tools to go forth and train key agents in their nations and territories, which is an excellent way of proliferating these skills in far off regions where psychological help is hard to find otherwise.

Bertrand Moses, Child Protection Officer (MHPSS- Mental Health and Psychosocial Support), UNICEF, facilitated the workshop.

The entire endeavor focused on bringing the mental health levels of children in the Caribbean to better standards. This is a very important initiative as the Caribbean looks to its younger generation to take the region into a brighter and more stable future.

With the Regional Psychological First Aid for children program, UNICEF and USAID have taken a significant step towards highlighting the need for psychological therapy for children while also making an attempt to mitigate the stigma surrounding such a conversation.

In fact, in most cases, the image that psychological therapy for children carries is what becomes the biggest hurdle in the way of a child receiving the support and counselling he needs to lead a fulfilling life.

Such issues can only be tackled by initiatives which look to propagate a healthy image of metal health programs and allow more people to be aware of the complexity of this issue, especially with regards to its effects on children.