Mental health can’t wait, warns NSSC

Some students come to school carrying more than books in their bags. They bring anxiety from sleepless nights, quiet grief they suppress, and fears they have learned to hide behind polite smiles. To everyone else, they look okay – uniform on, homework submitted, seated in class. But showing up does not mean they are well.

The vibrant and energetic population of Jamaica’s youth hides a harrowing reality: an escalating mental-health crisis that threatens to rob an entire generation of its potential. The National Secondary Students’ Council (NSSC) Health & Wellness Task Force is raising urgent concern about the growing mental-health challenges facing Jamaican youth.

In 2023, research indicated that approximately one in four Jamaican teenagers lived with a diagnosable mental-health condition, and the National Suicide Helpline reported a sharp increase in distress calls from young people, rising by as much as 90 per cent. Suicide remains the third leading cause of death among individuals aged 10–19. In addition, over 60 per cent of students report experiencing chronic stress, with many unable to access adequate support due to stigma or limited school-based resources. As such, the NSSC Health & Wellness Task Force has urged the immediate implementation of a National School Mental Health Policy.

According to the task force, this policy would ensure that every secondary school is equipped with fully staffed guidance and counselling departments, establishes early identification systems for students showing signs of emotional distress, introduces suicide-prevention protocols and awareness programmes, and creates confidential, safe spaces where students can seek support without fear of judgement.

The council has emphasised the urgency for this policy as it said that students across Jamaica face multiple challenges that directly affect their well-being.

“Heavy academic workloads, often assigned without consideration for the demands of other subjects, force students to sacrifice rest and leisure time or prioritise one subject over another,” the task force argued. “Inevitably, this results in poor performance in one or more subject areas and diminished confidence in their academic ability.”

At the same time, the task force said students in need – particularly those enrolled in the PATH programme – continue to experience discrimination and humiliation.

“Practices such as marked tickets and separate lunch lines publicly single out these students in front of their peers,” it said. “In some cases, the embarrassment leads students to skip meals altogether, resulting in nutritional deficiencies that negatively affect concentration, behaviour, and academic performance.”

Disclosed without consent

Compounding these issues, the task force added, is the inconsistent practice of confidentiality within some schools. It claimed that students who seek emotional support from teachers or guidance counsellors may find that sensitive personal information is disclosed without their consent.

“Such breaches of trust leave students feeling exposed and reluctant to seek help, often choosing silence instead.”

Together, these factors underscore the importance of a comprehensive mental-health policy in protecting students, promoting equity, and ensuring that schools function as safe spaces for learning and personal growth.

Brian Anderson, president of the NSSC, said: “I commend both the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information for their efforts to reduce the mental-health challenges faced by young people. However, mental-health challenges among our youth seem to be only getting worse the more we advance as a society, so it’s critical we form a standardised policy within our schools that works to resolve this issue.”

The official motto of the NSSC is ‘Responsible students make the difference’.

Amber Heaven, chairperson of the task force, believes that responsibility must begin with health.

“Responsible students can make a great difference, especially when we start becoming responsible for our own health,” Heaven said. “By prioritising mental health alongside physical health, we can empower Jamaica’s youth not just to cope, but to truly thrive.”

The work of the task force is guided by the World Health Organization’s definition of health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. As one member explained, the mandate is to champion school environments where students are supported not only academically, but physically, mentally, and socially.

“In a country still recovering from the physical and emotional impact of Hurricane Melissa, this moment demands urgency. Disasters do not end when flood waters recede. They linger in the minds of children who have lost homes, stability, or a sense of safety. Schools must be prepared to support students through these unseen struggles,” the NSSC said.

“If Jamaica continues to treat mental health as secondary, we risk raising a generation that is academically present but emotionally depleted. However, if we embrace a holistic understanding of health – one that values mental and social well-being alongside physical health – we can create schools that heal, empower, and protect.”

The NSSC said it stands ready to work with the health and education ministries to ensure that every student is supported as a whole person.

“Jamaica’s youth deserve more than survival. They deserve wellness – and the time to act is now.”

The NSSC proposes that a National School Mental Health Policy should include

• Fully staffed guidance and counselling departments in all secondary schools.

• Clear standards for confidentiality to protect students’ personal information.

• Early identification and referral systems for students showing signs of emotional distress.

• Suicide-prevention protocols and mental health awareness programmes.

• Anti-discrimination measures that protect students receiving financial assistance.

• Safe, confidential spaces where students can seek help without fear or judgement.