Adolescent Mental Health Study<\/a> last year, which prompted increased collaboration between government agencies, charities and private providers to prioritise mental wellbeing and reduce stigma, which persists as one of the biggest barriers to seeking help.<\/p>\nShe said as a result, more people felt able to recognise symptoms and seek support earlier.<\/p>\n
The nature of referrals has also shifted.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere has been an increase in concerns linked to social media exposure, particularly at this time of year, where curated \u2018highlight reels\u2019 can intensify feelings of isolation, comparison and self-doubt,\u201d Ms Madeiros said.<\/p>\n
\u201cReferrals related to heightened expectations, financial strain, stress, anxiety and depression have risen, alongside concerns about workplace bullying, performance pressure and school-related stress.\u201d<\/p>\n
The study found that 31 per cent of Bermudian students aged 10 to 19 reported moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety or depression, a rate higher than global averages.<\/p>\n
Ms Madeiros said the figures may more accurately reflect need rather than a sudden emergence of distress because there was less stigma about seeking help.<\/p>\n
While there are a range of services available to help meet the demand, including those at no cost such as the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute and Family Centre, Solstice continues to advocate for insurance policies putting mental health in line with physical health coverage.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne challenge for our community is the limited coverage for the GEHI members,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe coverage is very low and only covers psychologists, not counsellors, and does not cover telehealth sessions, which is highly sought after.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf certain policies would be expanded, more people would access the mental health support.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere also continues to be a gap for mental health services for people who are involved with the criminal justice system.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Madeiros said there was a strong need for services for children and adolescents, while working-age adults represented a significant proportion of referrals \u2014 particularly for people balancing multiple roles.<\/p>\n
She added: \u201cMany are experiencing chronic stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, workplace bullying and performance-related pressures, often compounded by financial strain, job insecurity and blurred work\/life boundaries since the pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithin this group is the sandwich generation \u2014 adults simultaneously caring for children and ageing parents.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information about Solstice, e-mail info@solstice.bm or call 292-3456.<\/p>\n
Services are also available at MWI on 236-3770. Its 24-hour Mental Health Crisis Line is 239-1111.<\/p>\n
Healthy practices to adopt<\/p>\n
Kim Wilson, the Minister of Health, highlighted mental health during the holiday season last month.<\/p>\n
She added then: \u201cThe Government remains committed to supporting mental wellness through ongoing community partnerships, anti-stigma initiatives and increased access to mental health resources, counsellors, support groups and faith-based organisations.<\/p>\n
\u201cI challenge us, as a community, to be attentive \u2014 to check on those around us, to notice when someone withdraws and to lead with compassion.\u201d<\/p>\n
She shared the following healthy practices:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Get consistent rest to help restore energy and stabilise mood<\/p>\n
\u2022 Eat balanced meals and drink plenty of water<\/p>\n
\u2022 Maintain regular physical activity \u2014 even a daily walk helps<\/p>\n
\u2022 Be mindful of alcohol intake and never drink and drive<\/p>\n
\u2022 Engage in hobbies that bring joy and relaxation<\/p>\n
\u2022 Use stress-management tools such as deep breathing, journalling or mindfulness<\/p>\n
\u2022 Protect your boundaries \u2014 decline invitations when necessary<\/p>\n
\u2022 Caregivers should take breaks and seek support where possible<\/p>\n
* Information provided by the Ministry of Health<\/p>\n
Healthy practices to adopt<\/p>\n
Kim Wilson, the Minister of Health, highlighted mental health during the holiday season last month.<\/p>\n
She added then: \u201cThe Government remains committed to supporting mental wellness through ongoing community partnerships, anti-stigma initiatives and increased access to mental health resources, counsellors, support groups and faith-based organisations.<\/p>\n
\u201cI challenge us, as a community, to be attentive \u2014 to check on those around us, to notice when someone withdraws and to lead with compassion.\u201d<\/p>\n
She shared the following healthy practices:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Get consistent rest to help restore energy and stabilise mood<\/p>\n
\u2022 Eat balanced meals and drink plenty of water<\/p>\n
\u2022 Maintain regular physical activity \u2014 even a daily walk helps<\/p>\n
\u2022 Be mindful of alcohol intake and never drink and drive<\/p>\n
\u2022 Engage in hobbies that bring joy and relaxation<\/p>\n
\u2022 Use stress-management tools such as deep breathing, journalling or mindfulness<\/p>\n
\u2022 Protect your boundaries \u2014 decline invitations when necessary<\/p>\n
\u2022 Caregivers should take breaks and seek support where possible<\/p>\n
* Information provided by the Ministry of Health<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A holistic wellness centre has seen demand for its mental health services surge this festive season due to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":395480,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[64,63,5503,137,211105,514,5005,515,142913],"class_list":{"0":"post-395479","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mental-health","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-christmas","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-health-treatment","13":"tag-mental-health","14":"tag-mental-illness","15":"tag-mentalhealth","16":"tag-new-year"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/395479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=395479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/395479\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/395480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=395479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=395479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=395479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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