Adolescents

[SCROLL DOWN TO WATCH VIDEO] How many of us remember our teen years – a time of excitement for sure. Hopefully it brings good memories of friendships made, great adventures and the energy of being youthful and hopeful. However, we may also recall the challenges of growing up - increasing responsibilities, school stress and conflicts with friends…, Creating a safe space for adolescents is key, In addition to the session with parents, facilitators engaged adolescents and were able to help them work through some of the stress they face in relating to their parents and family members. Facilitator, Rory Roberts, Manager of the adolescent-friendly Teen Hub in the Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre noted that: “The main issue adolescents go…, Focus on what’s happening with their mental health, Anna-Kay Magnus Watson, Senior Education Officer, Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) unit at the Ministry of Education and Youth spoke to the need for a stronger focus on adolescent mental health: “Some of the challenges that we see with adolescents in relation to mental health, especially in light of what has been happening with COVID-19,…, Adolescent needs can be complex, Norda Spencer Dekid, Regional Nursing Supervisor at the North Eastern Regional Health Authority (NERHA) also noted that health care workers have a critical role to play in providing safe spaces: “There are certain good standard practices that are normally done in going about adolescent services. The needs of adolescents are multifactorial and…, What’s UNICEF doing?, A total of 25 healthcare and education professionals participated in a workshop where they learned to use the Helping Adolescents Thrive intervention tools, which are aimed at ensuring more support for adolescents and their mental health. The methodology also prioritizes support to parents so that they are able to manage their own mental well-…

Sihle Atkinson is the 25-year-old U-Reporter who suggested the name U-Matter,  voted by U-Reporters as the name for U-Report’s mental health chatline service , a collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Caribbean Child Development Centre at the UWI Open Campus. This is her story of overcoming and advice for others. Hi. My…, Depression can happen to anyone , It affected my relationships. My loved ones were really worried about me because I would sometimes just withdraw. They knew “that’s not Sihle”, and they were probably even offended. I sometimes would say things that seemed very critical or mean or unreasonable and it wasn’t because I didn’t care about the people I loved, but because I now had this…, Finding my own ways to cope with depression, I coped in three main ways: One was music, and just generally things I really liked to do. As I said, I kind of lost interest or passion for certain things but I enjoyed music and other activities in a different way than before. It used to be for entertainment but then it became a thing where I used it to occupy my mind so I wouldn’t get drowned…, Know that you are not alone, I want to tell you that you are not alone. There are so many people struggling like you are. When somebody has a cough or a really bad headache and it’s lasting for too long, other people will be like “yes, yes, gwaan. You nah go a doctor?” So why is it when we have pain in our minds which affects everything else, we’re like “hmm?” Mental well-…, Your mental health matters. U-Matter!, I would also say find your purpose, find your drive. For me, I have adopted an outlook that my life is a story. Every story has a protagonist, and every good story has conflict, with an issue to struggle through to reach a resolution. I believe that my purpose here is to serve others through telling my story, through relating to people, through…

For these girls becoming pregnant can be so confusing, and lonely. At the beginning of COVID-19, I paid tribute to one of my students at her funeral. She left behind her son to the care of his great grandmother. This teen mother was only 13 years old – a loss that has been both heart-breaking but also a motivation for me as a counsellor at the…, They are still children, The stigma that is placed on these girls is quite disturbing and appalling. Contrary to how it appears, some are very much innocent; not all teen mothers participated in consensual sex. There are girls who were victimised but instead of being supported and protected, they are being ridiculed. I want to put this out there that these teen mothers…, Inspired by their bravery, What I miss most though is the face-to-face classes and being able to interact in person to put a smile on their faces. They really lack access to many things generally and with COVID-19 I was scared for them – about them being further left behind. In St Ann, the tourism industry was gravely impacted and some of their parents lost their jobs. Even…, Counselling is 24/7 work, I always extend myself to my students; I am only a telephone or text message away. I use a work mobile device thanks to UNICEF, and with support the Women’s Centre has strategically repositioned its Counsellors to respond to the needs of our teen mothers. I work with girls from St. Ann, St. Mary and Trelawny. Despite the poor conditions of the…, What’s UNICEF doing? , During COVID-19 through UNICEF, the  Spotlight Initiative in Jamaica  is providing support to the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation, operating under the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, to ensure adolescent mothers continue to receive psychosocial and educational support from WCJF counsellors during the COVID-19 pandemic.…