By Robert A. Emmanuel
JCI Awardee for Mental Health and Wellness, Monifa St John, expressed the belief that Antiguans and Barbudans should treat mental health as an important facet of life and seek help when needed.
As an employee for the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and the Environment, and co-founder of Mental Health Talk Antigua—a mental health advocacy group—Monifa St John believes that her mission is to change the narrative on mental health by providing information to eliminate stigma and advocating for access to quality services for all.
St John revealed that her passion for mental health advocacy arose from her own personal experiences and struggles.
“My advocacy comes from a lived experience; I am a human being who would have had a run-in with depression and anxiety, and I would have been living in Wuhan, China when the Covid pandemic hit.
And so, because I was a counsellor at my school, helping some people through that initial stage of the lockdown, I thought it would have been prudent that upon the pandemic coming to Antigua, and if Antigua is going to have a lockdown, persons will need mental support,” she said.
St John explained through her conversations with Regina Apparicio in Antigua, and Jonelle Walsh, the Mental Health Talk was born.
“We started out as a way for persons to get tips and ideas, and learn coping mechanisms for the lockdown initially, and it would have turned into something that persons use on a daily or monthly basis,” she said.
St John also had a message for Antiguans and Barbudans.
“Having your mental health in a state of wellness will only make you more productive, and that is something I want for my people.
“My message is that there is help, and seek help if there is a problem, whether you feel depressed, whether you feel you cannot cope. That is one of the main things that people think they don’t have—help,” she said, noting her online website has resources for persons dealing with mental health challenges.
“You are not alone in this fight; there is somebody out there that is as depressed as you and somebody out there willing to help you,” the JCI awardee stated.