24-hour mental health helpline with trained operators launches

If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental illness, experiencing emotional distress or harbouring thoughts of self-harm, a new 24-hour mental health hotline is officially here to help. 

Lifeline Barbados – 536-4500 – was officially launched Friday by the government to offer support for mental health issues.

Already, the helpline has received more than 300 calls since it began operating two months ago, revealing anxiety, depression, social issues, other personal matters, financial challenges, and thoughts of suicide among callers.

“The vast majority of the calls related to suicide ideation were categorised as low risk,” Minister of State in the Ministry of Health Davidson Ishmael told attendees at the helpline’s launch at the ministry’s Culloden Road offices. “What we found interesting and encouraging is that there were several calls from persons who simply wanted to speak to someone.”

Lifeline Barbados was established in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) with the goal of addressing the growing number of mental health challenges faced by Barbadians, particularly following the peak of the COVID pandemic, according to Ishmael.

In recent years, mental health has risen in importance for Barbadians, prompting the government to address the challenge, he said.

Ishmael said: “Barbadians would be acutely aware that we had a period of time in recent years where there was an unfortunate and undesirable spate of suicides which occurred within our island, and which captured the immediate attention of our government and varied stakeholders and partners within the mental health space. This captured attention quickly turned to robust planning, and that robust planning has led us to decisive action in the form of the creation of Lifeline Barbados.”

The hotline began operating “quietly” in February, operating from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily on two shifts, including holidays. Now, with help from the ministry’s partners, training for the hotline operators has been carried out, said the minister.

“The hotline is currently staffed by 15 persons, comprising the hotline manager, four supervisors, and ten hotline operators,” Ishmael said. “The operators who man the phones and interface with the caller will be responsible for providing general mental health information, emotional support and crisis intervention services. Accordingly, I can confirm that the entire hotline staff have been trained to perform their critical functions. With the support of our strategic partner PAHO/WHO, the ministry was able to engage the services of an international consultant to develop the standard operating procedures and to train the staff in the hotline in helpline crisis intervention techniques.”

The minister stressed that although the island’s suicide rate was well below the global average, suicide and self-harm were “fully recognised” as health issues prompting the need for the helpline.  

“Local health statistics show that on average, twice as many persons [have]sought out mental health services at our multiple polyclinics as compared to the pre-COVID years,” said Ishmael. 

“Lifeline Barbados has been established based on international best practice guidelines, and it is anticipated that it will further enhance our national response to mental health challenges, allowing for immediate and appropriate interventions and follow-up. Ultimately, the ministry’s objective is to ensure that all citizens have improved access to quality mental health services that meet their needs, without exposing them to any financial hardships or duress.”

The minister also assured that a complete restructuring of the country’s mental health framework was on the horizon.

(SB)