JPEMSS Young Leaders focus on mental health

Students at the Dr JP Eustace Memorial Secondary School (JPEMSS) were on Tuesday, April 26, sensitized about mental health issues. Samuel Joyles and Anya Abbott, counsellors from the Mental Health Rehabilitation Centre (MHRC), made a presentation on this topic to third form students of the school.{{more}}

Joyles and Abbott told the students that mental health influences their thoughts, actions and self-esteem. The students were informed that some mental illnesses could begin during adolescence and could lead to problems such as aggression, substance abuse and risky behaviour. They were sensitized about types of mental illnesses and measures they could take to ensure their mental health.

The activity was organized by the JPEMSS Young Leaders, as part of their project, which focuses on health. Working under this year’s theme ‘ME…YOU…WE… A shared vision for a better society’, the Young Leaders have developed the sub-theme ‘ME plus YOU equals aWEsome.’ AWESOME is an acronym for ‘A Well Environment and Society Obviously Matters to Everyone.’

Other activities carried out by the Young Leaders include the Clean Class Contest, where classrooms at the school are awarded prizes monthly for keeping their environment trash free and tidy. The Young Leaders also cleaned the beach at Edinboro and gave talks on environmental health to grade five students at three primary schools in Kingstown – the Kingstown Anglican School, Kingstown Government School and St Mary’s Roman Catholic School.

The JPEMSS Young Leaders are also collaborating with the Forestry Division to remove a frangipani tree from the school compound and replace it with neem trees. The frangipani tree is said to attract termites, while the neem tree acts as a repellant. The school has had a serious problem with termites, which has resulted in damage to the wooden portions of the structure.

The young leaders are happy with what they have been able to accomplish and thanks all those who have supported them throughout the project.