Students (10 -19 years of age), parents, and teachers are set to benefit from Jamaica’s first Mental Health Conference set for Saturday, January 20, 2024, at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston.

The conference which is targeted to adolescents, comes as in recent years Jamaica has been experiencing an uptick in school & community violence.

In an interview with SLEEK Jamaica, the conference project lead, Najuequa Barnes, noted that the conference will be held under the theme “Ending Stigma Building Resilience – let’s Talk” and says that it is to help and not judge.

According to data from the United Nations, one in seven 10-19-year-olds experiences a mental disorder, accounting for 13% of the global burden of disease in this age group.

The project seeks to provide training and support to Jamaican children and teenagers, their parents and guardians, school guidance counsellors, and mental health experts.

Barnes also explained the agenda for the day.