By Aabigayle McIntosh

“Counselling is very helpful regarding mental health, it gets to the root of the problem, you learn techniques to manage it long term,”

That is the advice a specialist in Internal Medicine and Psychiatry is giving to people who may be going through mental health issues or simply depressed.

As it relates to men, in particular, Dr Channelle Joseph also assures that “seeking help does not make you weak, it actually takes strength to say I need help,”

The mental health advocate was speaking on the heels of yet another suicide that occurred over the weekend where a 31-year-old All Saints man took his own life.

The medical practitioner said while they are a large number of women known to have mental health issues, she has seen an increase in men who are now seeking assistance for related issues.

She said added that the most common problem for men is anxiety.

“There is the concern that I should be providing for my significant other, my children, I have to perform at work and there are all these pressures and no outlet.

“Then having to put on that macho face and unfortunately some men will cave under the pressure while some are reaching out for help thankfully,” Dr Joseph said.

She is also concerned that a number of young children are also exhibiting signs of mental health disorders.

She said a number of mothers and grandmothers have reached out complaining about the problem among children between the ages of 10 and 19 years.

The problem she said is that there are very limited resources available in the country to deal with mental health issues in children.