Bermuda is to adapt Britain’s mental health charity, Mind, to the island’s needs as part of an additional investment in social services unveiled last month by David Burt, the Premier.

Kim Wilson, the health minister, said part of the $25 million investment package from increased government revenues would go towards programmes such as suicide prevention and additional youth services, including a youth mental health summit likely to be held next spring.

“The Premier announced the Midyear Budget Review, in which $2.29 million would be going to the Ministry of Health specifically so that we could help enhance our programmes for people with respect to mental health support initiatives,” Ms Wilson told The Royal Gazette this week.

“Ultimately, the goal is to create a Bermuda where mental health concerns are met with understanding as opposed to stigma.”

The charity Mind emerged from Britain’s National Association for Mental Health, founded in 1946.

Ms Wilson said it would be used as a model for Bermuda’s national health advocacy programme.

Part of the ministry’s extra funding will also go to bolster grants for mental health support services such as Age Concern, Family Centre and the Women’s Resource Centre.

The minister said global statistics suggested that “one person in four will experience a mental health challenge, and it’s important we get to the point where the community can discuss it as openly as we would a physical ailment”.

Ms Wilson added that while mental health had become less of a forbidden topic in Bermuda, there remained a “generational” divide to overcome.

“Young people are really more comfortable discussing their mental health challenges,” she said. “But I still think there’s quite a bit of stigma in the older generations, and that’s one of the things we’re trying to address.

“People still refer to the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute in a non-complimentary manner, and unfortunately there are still people being discriminated against for having mental illness. Those are things we need to address.

“First and foremost, we are launching a comprehensive mental health awareness campaign to encourage people to seek help when needed. If these issues are so prevalent then it should be easier to discuss them openly.

“Another initiative will be a suicide prevention strategy specifically focusing on preventive as well as protective measures and self-care.

“MWI already has an emergency hotline that is available 24-7 for people in need of assistance — there is a 24-hour crisis line at 239-1111 or 236-3770.”

Ms Wilson added that the MWI would play “a major role in the development of that strategy, to make it more comfortable to raise your hand and say that you need to talk to somebody”.

The island’s move towards universal health coverage is to include mental health among its package of core benefits, with the help of public health workers.

Ms Wilson said: “When the Premier indicated there would be further funds allocated, it was easy to find initiatives that could be better resourced.”

The Bermuda Hospitals Board is to assist the ministry in “a mental health gap action plan” to integrate mental health into primary care, and help healthcare workers to “address any concerns they might see in their patients”.

“Another initiative will be establishing a community outreach programme,” she said.

“We want to engage with community leaders to share information and spread our resources.

“Often we have health fairs providing services such as checking blood pressure. We will start having mental health professionals incorporated in our public health fairs, to ensure our mental health services are tailored to the unique needs of the community.

“We will go to where the people are. Those types of exercises will help normalise the discussions we should be having.”

Along with the youth mental health summit planned for next year, Ms Wilson said extra support would be allocated for “school-based health behaviour intervention” through teachers and counsellors.

She also emphasised that the extra investment from the Midyear Budget would not be a one-off.

Ms Wilson said: “The finance minister has assured us that this $2.29 million will be carried over, so we will definitely see it in our Budget next year, so that we can continue with these programmes and initiatives.”