(Barbados Nation) The Psychiatric Hospital is seeing an increase in new admissions, as well as young people utilising mental health services.
Hospital director David Leacock revealed on Thursday that admissions had gone up by ten per cent within the past five years. He said those were not only younger people, as an ageing population tended to result in an increase in mental challenges due to disorders such as Alzheimer’s.
But readmissions have decreased. Leacock said some offerings have been decentralised, resulting in more people, including youth, making use of them.
“Over the last three or so years, we made a change as far as our services for the youth. We have been more engaging and actually going out [in the community] and educating our youth at an earlier stage as the indication is persons are abusing substances a lot earlier now,” he said.
