Mental Health Hotline A Lifeline For Barbadians

Barbadians have been utilising the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ 24-hour mental health hotline, Lifeline Barbados, to receive help with issues ranging from anxiety and depression, to suicidal and homicidal ideation.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Senator Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, shared these findings with an audience comprising local, regional, and international health researchers and policymakers yesterday, at the opening of the Caribbean Public Health Agency’s (CARPHA) 69th Annual Health Research Conference at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre. It is being held from May 7 to 9, under the theme Mental Health: The Hidden Pandemic.

Senator Walcott disclosed that since the hotline started operating in February 2024 – it was officially launched in April 2024 – it had received 6,572 calls up to May 2, 2025, with 740 calls recorded in April alone – the highest for any month. Other issues callers were struggling with included substance abuse and social challenges.

He noted that the call volume reflected a steady demand for support. “A high resolution rate and positive feedback affirm its crucial role in Barbados’ mental health landscape. In addition, the Ministry of Health and Wellness is working closely with our strategic partner, PAHO/WHO, to review and modernise the mental health legislation to ensure that individuals with mental disorders will have access to more responsive and high-quality mental health care. 

“Since the hotline started operating in February 2024 – it was officially launched in April 2024 – it had received 6,572 calls up to May 2, 2025, with 740 calls recorded in April alone – the highest for any month. Other issues callers were struggling with included substance abuse and social challenges.”

“The revised legislation, grounded in a human rights-based approach, will play a crucial role in promoting community integration, strengthening mental health services within primary care and expanding access to quality care at the community level,” the Health Minister stated, adding that 15 per cent of all disabilities were linked to mental health conditions.

Additionally, Dr. Walcott said the Ministry was collaborating to finalise the Mental Health Plan and Roadmap for Barbados, which will outline a clear path to bringing the current mental health programme in line with international best practices.

The roadmap will assist the Ministry with identifying priorities, recruiting key partners and defining management strategies to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of mental health service.

He explained that Government was committed to building a Barbados where mental health was accessible, prioritised, and treated with urgency.

“Through strategic planning, legislative reform, and collaborative action, we will ensure that mental well-being is not only protected, but strengthened for generations to come,” the Minister of Health emphasised.

He said a strong and strategic response is needed to tackle the mental health crisis. This includes:

• Fully embedding mental health in national health and education policies, ensuring primary healthcare providers are equipped to identify and support mental health needs;
• Ensuring that every clinic visit addresses both body and mind;
• Replacing shame with empathy. Launching public awareness campaigns that reflect the voices of our people, amplifying the stories of survivors and advocates;
• Targeted support for vulnerable populations – the youth, elderly, and trauma survivors as well as those living with chronic illnesses. 
• Safe spaces, both online and offline, must be established, and mental health support integrated into disaster response, social services, and community outreach.
• Investment in research and infrastructure is critical.
• Data must reflect the Caribbean context, and efforts must be made to train more professionals, expand community services, and develop innovative digital tools. 
• Adequate funding must be secured, ensuring mental health is prioritised within climate resilience, disaster relief, education reform, and universal health coverage.

“To the researchers among us, your scholarship provides the empirical foundation upon which effective policy must be built. To our clinicians and mental health professionals, your dedication is essential to community resilience, and to the young people who are bravely breaking the silence, your voices are reshaping the narrative and driving the change we need.

“Let this gathering mark not the conclusion of a conversation, but the commencement of a broader regional movement – one in which mental health is no longer marginalised, but central to our development agendas,” Minister Walcott advised.

Author: Melissa Rollock

Publish: May 08, 2025