Haitian Association for the Mental Health of Children, Adolescents and the Family (HAMCAF): Resurgence of Mental Health Issues in Haiti

Haiti faces serious mental health problems linked to the socio-economic crisis, the violence of armed gangs who murder and kill people in the western departments, Port-au-Prince, the Central Plateau, and Artibonite, in addition to political instability, and widespread poverty.

These factors, combined with the frequency of natural disasters, have led to an increase in post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety, particularly among young people. With Hurricane Melissa's passage through the Caribbean, southern and northern Haiti were hit, and hundreds of people forced to flee Port-au-Prince due to gang violence to seek refuge in other departments are now homeless. 

Access to mental health care is limited, and the lack of resources and qualified professionals exacerbates the situation. 

Who would have thought it? While since the 1970s, "psychiatry has not been considered a public health issue in Haiti, it is not a priority for the Haitian state," and "Haiti does not take care of its mentally ill," suddenly, "everyone is doing mental health work" since January 12, 2010, following the earthquake that struck the country. 

In fact, according to some, Haiti is overrun by a motley crew of "mental health specialists" who are neither doctors, nor psychiatrists, nor professional psychologists. 

Rumors have spread in Haiti, as well as abroad, that there is a lot of money to be made in mental health in Haiti. If nothing is done, by 2030, Haiti will have at least 5 to 8 million people with mental health disorders. 

Many interested parties from abroad speak neither French nor Creole. Words like "psychosocial support" have become ubiquitous, and everyone is now claiming to be involved. Suddenly, mental health in Haiti has become an internationally coveted commodity, and unfortunately, nothing has been done. 

Seventeen intervention modalities are offered: psychological, such as individual and group psychological support, psychotherapy, etc.; medical (medication); and social, such as advocacy, vocational skills training, and social support.

Factors contributing to the mental health crisis: 

Political instability and armed gang violence: Gang violence and widespread insecurity generate constant fear and a sense of powerlessness, particularly in urban areas like Port-au-Prince and Lascahobas where five young people and two families have completed suicide. 

Socioeconomic crisis: Poverty, unemployment, and lack of access to basic necessities such as food and water exacerbate the mental health crisis and widespread stress in Haiti. 

Natural disasters: Earthquakes, hurricanes, and epidemics like cholera, which has resurfaced in Haiti, leave lasting physical and psychological scars on the Haitian population. 

Impact on youth: Young people are particularly vulnerable, as they are at risk of being forcibly recruited by gangs and of suffering long-term psychosocial developmental problems related to the difficulties they experienced during childhood. 

Challenges related to treatment and care: 

Weakened health system: The public health system is overburdened and heavily dependent on external aid. All hospitals are forced to close due to violence from armed gangs, and some hospitals are burglarized and looted by these gangs, leading to shortages of basic medical supplies, including antibiotics and painkillers. 

Shortage of resources and personnel: There is a critical shortage of qualified mental health personnel, particularly in rural areas, which limits access to care. All medical personnel are forced to leave Haiti and migrate to Chile, Mexico and Canada, as well as countries in Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. 

Cultural Stigma: Social stigma can be a significant obstacle to seeking help. However, some communities also express their suffering through cultural practices, such as Voodoo ceremonies if they are ill, which can be interpreted as "mental illness" by professionals unfamiliar with these beliefs. 

Haitian Association for the Mental Health of Children, Adolescents and the Family (HAMCAF) 

The Haitian Association for the Mental Health of Children, Adolescents and the Family (HAMCAF) strives to provide culturally appropriate mental health services with a small team of trained professionals, health promoters, and social workers. The team is not immune to the challenges faced around the country and armed gangs looted the private residence of Dr. Jean-Claude Dorsainvil. The buildings of Queensland University Haiti, which housed the office of the HAMCAF, were taken hostage and burglarized by these same gangs. We lost everything. We are operating at a reduced capacity. Patients who send us messages and call us for assistance have not been able to receive social support because we have lost our resources. Despite these challenges we continue to strive to serve including: 

Community Awareness: Campaigns have been conducted to reduce stigma and raise awareness about mental health issues, particularly around World Mental Health Day. 

Monitoring and Adaptation: Monitoring social functioning and adapting services to local needs are essential to improving mental health care in Haiti, and unfortunately, we lack sufficient resources, both financial and material. 

MAKE AN EMERGENCY DONATION FOR HAITI 
Hurricane Melissa has left dozens dead and dozens missing, and we have more than five families missing in the far south of Haiti. We also have families who, because of armed gangs, left Port-au-Prince to live in the far south of Haiti and have had their homes completely destroyed.

They are calling us to come and help them, but we don't really have sufficient resources. We are only sending a small team of 3 people with the meager resources to provide assistance, hoping to go with a second team of 10 to 20 people to the far south and far north of Haiti. 

HAMCAF  - Rapid Disaster Response — Hurricane Melissa, Haiti 
MAKE AN EMERGENCY DONATION FOR HAITI 
MAKE AN EMERGENCY DONATION FOR HAITI, contact us at the email and WhatsApp number:  
- email:  mentalhealthuqhaiti@gmail.com or WhatsApp number: 509-3774-6275

Contact   
Haitian Association for the Mental Health of Children, Adolescents and the Family (HAMCAF)  
Tel WhatsApp: + 1 509-3774-6275  
Jean-Claude Dorsainvil: jcdorsainvil107@gmail.com    
Dr. Euguens Femine: mentalhealthuqhaiti@gmail.com    

This article represents the view of its author(s) and does not necessarily represent the view of the IACAPAP's bureau or executive committee.

IACAPAP Bulletin, Issue 81