Unavailable meds a cause for increase in mental health incidents
The current upsurge in incidents involving mentally ill persons is partially because of a lack of access to medication.
This is according Acting Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) Jacqueline Vanterpool who appeared on JTV’s The Big Story recently.
“We have recognised over the years, a number of complaints stem from the patients not having medication readily available to take at the time or the medication has finished and has not been replaced, so hence we see the surge in the number of those types of cases that we get on a regular basis,” the Deputy Commissioner stated.
The RVIPF disclosed in a recent press release, that officers attended 15 incidents in the last three weeks where either “family members and neighbours were seriously injured, threatened or had to be rescued from a mental health patient”.
Having had to deal with patients at the local hospital’s mental health department over the years, Vanterpool said the police are sometimes meant with aggression that exposes several officers to harm when making arrests.
Once mental health patients are in custody after being arrested for any offence, Vanterpool said it is the RVIPF’s duty to take them to the Behavioural Ward at the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital to receive medication.
But the Deputy Commissioner said officers are sometimes faced with the additional challenge of awaiting a medical report from the relevant authorities once mentally challenged persons are arrested and charged.
This usually determines what the Office of the Director of Prosecutions (DPP) will advise in terms of a course of action regarding the persons arrested.
Vanterpool cautioned that caretakers should remain in a state of awareness and avoid waiting until the last moment to seek professional help for persons affected by mental health issues.
More persons presenting with anxiety-related concerns
Meanwhile, resident psychiatrist at the BVI Health Services Authority, Dr June Samuel said a lot of persons have been presenting with anxiety and other related issues in recent times.
Dr Samuel said this is not only due to the presence of COVID-19 related issues, but also regarding persons who have lost loved ones and co-workers recently.
Persons who have presented mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression in the past have also appeared with exacerbated symptoms of these issues recently, Dr Samuel disclosed.
She said a previous history of any such behaviour needs to be taken into context where relatives and police are responding to incidents.
“So often when we talk about mental health we have a particular perception of what that is but all of us are at risk because we are all living in a situation that is anxiety-provoking,” Dr Samuel said.
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when can we expect a mental health institution for these people? you cannot have mentally ill people in public just walking around harming others. If you do not have the facility ship them off to the UK.
We treat mental people so bad because we selfish an greedy.
The medicines in the G building always got spiked because the owner wouldn’t pay the electric bill so fridges went down. People need to CARE!
@well: Would they not have to apply for UK citizenship first?
As to a mental institution: sounds like a great idea, but how would it be funded?
The government just paid a million to some Germans to design a bunker in west end. That could go a long way to paying for it then you get rid of the needless security and expensive cars for government and that can staff it.
Wow you sound like you need some meds yourself.
They are not from the Uk so why send them there ? mi from here
@BVI, Because we don’t have a mental health institution, those people need help that we can’t give them at this time.Fahie prefers to hire more people into his government and talk of a race track he doesn’t care about you and me or the mentally ill then he turns around and talk about BVI love. Time for a change.
So build a mental health facility and staff it with properly qualified staff like a normal country.
People with mental illness shouldn’t be sent overseas away from their friends and loved ones! That’s not going to solve the problem and would be cruel to them and those who love them.
if they cant take them off the streets before they injure or harm someone, i already made my mind to defend me and my family to the end from these crazy people, want to be running up to you in a hustile way.not me sah..and since police cant jail them because they crazy, well now i crazy too.
the one size injection for all need to cease. Some of the mentally ill need more than just a injection that have them going around like zombie. Some of them have some heart wrecking issues that put them in the condition they’re in and only need a listening ear, clean them up, and show them love and support. All we do is push the medication in them and that hold them till next time.
So other issue – we can’t even order simple medication on time? what can we do right?
Brillant idea! When do you start?
Because Albert minister of health only concentrating on VACCINES, VACCINES. He dont realize that he has plenty of other fishes to fry under his portfolio! He’s another waste of the peoples vote!
We have money for everyting except health, education and welfare.
But some years years ago , the medication that was given to them , had them doing what was called the ( PUSH ) at that time ,so the doctors just inject them and turn them loose without concern of the reaction or side effects
on them, so there was never any real care for them
The money gone in salaries and allowances
Let’s keep it real. The BVI stigmatized the mentally ill as “Crazy” people; we have a special name for them——-crazy. They make us feel uncomfortable and are a shame of them, treating them like a drunkard uncle. They cramp our lifestyles, avoid them at all cost family or not, hope they will just go away, and cast them all as thrash who are willful in their disgusting behaviour. We must face the reality that they have mentality issues that we must compassionately, effectively and efficiently address. They are humans and part of the community. Hoping that they will just go away will not make them go away.
National hero Noel Lloyd, the talented illustrious leader of Positive Action Movement(PAM), was tagged as Crazy and scorned. The BVI solution to dealing with the mentally ill is to arrest them and throw them in jail, hoping that will solve the problem. Clearly, that is not a panacea for the problem.
Moreover, first, the BVI must find out the root cause of the mentally ill issues. Second, it must adequately investing in addressing mental issues, ie, facilities, trained professionals, treatment, including medications….etc. Third, we need a behavioral and attitudinal change towards the mentally ill. Fourth, recognize that just flinging crazy people in jail and threating them as thrash is not the right approach to dealing with the mental health issue. Fifth, stop front loading the police with solving the mental health issue.
Further, the mental health is real and we cannot wish it away. It must be addressed as a problem and dealt with with priority. Asking the police to arrest and jail the mentality ill is not the solution. This is a role unfairly assigned to the RVIPF. A progressive territory with a $1,000, 000, 000 GDP, a robust standard of living and quality of life ( at least so we boast) can and should do so much better. Let’s recognize that some of our fellow citizens are ill and the community must take care of them.
[Do Not Be Afraid]
Like Latin and the Latin name Ne Timeas, this senseless rant is dead. Most of these people are not crazy. They are damn lazy and willful.
“A number of complaints stem from the patients not having medication readily available to take at the time or the medication has finished and has not been replaced.”
Ok, but the medication is not “unavailable.” It is available, the person just chose to stop taking it. Misleading headline.