The theme for World Mental Health Day 2025 is “Access to Services: Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies.” In Antigua and Barbuda, our catastrophe is one of neglect — the silent suffering that unfolds behind closed doors, in forgotten wards, and within the minds of our most vulnerable citizens.
A Nation in Denial
Under the ABLP administration, mental health has remained a neglected stepchild of our public health system, chronically underfunded, poorly managed and disturbingly low on the national agenda.
The much-touted plan to open a new mental health facility in the old Jehovah’s Witness building at Sea View Farm has quietly vanished, another promise dissolved into political dust, with no accountability. What was promoted as national progress has proven to be yet another illusion with headlines replacing healing.
Behind the Walls of Clarevue Hospital
Nowhere is this decay more visible than at Clarevue Psychiatric Hospital, an institution built in the 1920s and left to crumble in the 21st century. The reports are heartbreaking — leaking roofs, failing infrastructure, inadequate meals, and dangerously low supervision.
The deaths of Hamlet Thomas and Lateefa George, both while under state care, exposed the consequences of systemic neglect. Yet, years later, investigations remain stagnant and there is no transparency. These are not isolated tragedies. They are symptoms of a healthcare system in collapse — underfunded, understaffed, and stripped of dignity. There is no national crisis hotline, no community mental health network, and no accountability when patients die under government supervision.
Communities Left Behind
Neglect extends beyond Clarevue’s gates. The All Saints Clinic — a critical facility — has been closed for more than 30 months. Residents, including the elderly and expecting mothers, must now travel seven miles to Glanvilles for routine check ups, available only one day per week to All Saints West residents.
Consider this: a woman who was pregnant when the All Saints clinic closed in 2023, has since given birth, and her child is now in preschool — yet the clinic remains closed. That single fact captures the inertia of this government — years pass, announcements are made, yet nothing changes.
This isn’t just a healthcare failure. It’s a mental health crisis for an entire community that feels abandoned and unseen.
Addressing the Past, Defining the Future
Some may ask what was done in years past — and that’s a fair question. Mental health neglect did not begin today; it stems from decades of underinvestment across administrations.
During the UPP’s tenure, our focus was on strengthening community health services, but mental health, like in many developing nations, lacked the consistent attention it needed. That experience has shaped my conviction that piecemeal efforts must end. Having seen modern approaches to mental health care in campus settings, I am committed to building a new model of support, especially for our youth.
We need an effective national mental health strategy, community-based outreach programs and real accountability when patients die under state care.
A Call for Leadership
We must build a modern mental health support system that values dignity, compassion, and human life. The state of Clarevue is not just a health issue; it is a moral one.
The people are tired of big announcements with no action. Real leadership is not measured by ribbon cuttings or press releases. It is measured by how a nation treats those who cannot fight for themselves.
Mental health has been overlooked for too long. The time for silence has ended and it’s time for action, to address the mental health crisis. Our people deserve no less.
