Rising youth mental health, drug issues alarm counsellors

Young people are increasingly grappling with intertwined mental health struggles and substance abuse, a trend linked to misconceptions about cannabis laws, family instability, and inadequate guidance, according to a senior counsellor at the Centre for Counselling Addiction Support Alternatives (CASA).

Sherryl Griffith, CASA’s coordinator of services and senior counsellor, told Barbados TODAY on Friday that the non-profit organisation has seen a steady uptick in clients, particularly young people aged 12 to 18, presenting with overlapping mental health and substance abuse issues. She estimated that CASA has recorded a seven per cent overall increase in clientele recently, with three per cent to four per cent of that rise involving school-aged children. Many of these young clients are referred by schools or the courts due to behavioural concerns or drug-related offences.

“The two areas—mental health and substance use—are showing up together in most of our assessments,” Griffith explained. “You can’t treat one without the other. And what’s worrying is how early these challenges are starting.”

A key concern for CASA is the widespread public misunderstanding of Barbados’ amended cannabis legislation, particularly among young people who mistakenly believe the drug has been legalised.

“There’s a misconception that because there’s a medicinal cannabis bill, cannabis is now legal for recreational use,” Griffith said. “That’s not the case. It’s still on our law books as an illegal substance, and young people are getting themselves into serious trouble because they don’t understand the limits.”

She emphasised that many adolescents wrongly believe they can consume small amounts without consequence. “What we’re seeing is a culture shift—young people telling us, ‘It helps me calm down’ or ‘It opens my mind’. But open your mind to do what?” she asked rhetorically. “If the only place it opens your mind to is the block, we have a serious problem.”

Griffith also highlighted an increase in clients self-referring or being brought in by family members as domestic tensions escalate.

“Sometimes people bring in their partners because when you leave CASA, you’re still going home to that same environment,” she said. “We’re seeing more men and women acknowledging domestic violence and relationship stress, but it’s still a struggle—many withdraw complaints only to return later in worse condition.”

She attributed part of the rise in referrals to greater public awareness of CASA’s services and the broader range of institutions now engaging in outreach, including workplaces and schools.

CASA’s programmes, such as the Children Prevention Initiative for primary school students, are designed to intervene early. But Griffith stressed that effective change will only come from a national collaborative strategy involving law enforcement, schools, churches, healthcare providers, and community groups.

“We need to be having these conversations at home, in church, in school, and on the block,” she said. “And they have to be consistent. A child can’t be told one thing at school, then go home and hear the opposite.”

According to Griffith, many young people are using drugs not out of defiance but as a coping mechanism for emotional trauma, instability at home, or lack of identity.

“We’ve had clients with CXCs and associate degrees who are now on the block, lost. They tell you they used to be calm but now they can’t focus. They feel validated by their peers who are doing the same thing. So we’re not just treating addiction—we’re trying to rebuild identity.”

CASA continues its work with limited funding and a small staff while demand for its services grows steadily through word-of-mouth referrals. On average, the organisation supports between 65 and 75 clients annually, with support from entities such as the Maria Holder Memorial Trust and the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust helping sustain critical programmes.

The youngest person to seek help was eight years old while the eldest was 66.

Despite these challenges, Griffith remains hopeful. “We’ve been doing this work for 25 years. We must be doing something right. But one organisation can’t do it alone.”

Addressing youth mental health and substance abuse will require not only structural reforms but also a cultural reckoning, she suggested.

She said: “We have to ask ourselves: what are we teaching our children about resilience, self-worth, and choices? And are we truly listening when they tell us they’re struggling?”

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb