The demand for mental health services in Bermuda has spiralled in recent months, while the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute continues to face inflationary rises and government funding cuts.

In 2015 711 patients were seen by the MWI Acute Care Clinic; a rise of more than 100 from 2014 and more than 400 from 2000.

In the last five years the facility’s government grant has been cut twice and reduced by more than $2 million.

Kelly Madeiros, a manager for Court Services who helps coordinate Mental Health Court, told The Royal Gazette that investment in mental healthcare “was needed to save lives”.

“The combination of the rise in unemployment and the cost of living, the inability to meet basic needs such as food, shelter and healthcare as well as challenges in obtaining financial assistance have a great impact on people’s mental health,” she added.

“On top of these challenges are what people face individually when they are faced with unemployment which contributes to different mental health conditions like anxiety, depression and substance abuse which is rejection, low self-esteem, defeated pride and strain on family relationships.”

Ms Madeiros said the rise in MWI referrals highlighted the need for a robust social safety net as well as early intervention programmes to reach young people showing signs of mental illness.

She added: “This doesn’t represent the people seeking assistance through their GP’s which I would guess would at least double the numbers of people seeking help for mental health issues.

“If the numbers seeking assistance is rapidly increasing and the funding decreases, the services are only going to be able to put out fires and not provide the care that is required in assisting people to long term wellness.”

Ms Madeiros called for large investment in modern practices that offer mental healthcare in the homes and the communities of the people who need help.

“This would include intensive rehabilitation for recovering from acute and chronic episodes of mental illness,” she said. “There is a great mental healthcare plan that was written a few years ago, it should be implemented.

“We need to ensure that every General Practitioner has current mental health training to screen for mental illness.”

Since 2010/11, when the grant to MWI was $39,578,000, the funding has dropped twice in 2011/12 and 2013/14 and is presently $37,344,000.

A Bermuda Hospitals Board spokeswoman told The Royal Gazette that BHB was working closely with Government to look at resourcing in mental healthcare and had started a “strategic planning process” to find ways to strengthen mental health services and build on the 2010 Mental Health Plan.

“MWI has reshaped its services to become more community focused following the launch of the plan, but this is certainly an area that can be strengthened,” she added.

The spokeswoman added: “Many service users have a dual diagnosis of mental illness and substance abuse/misuse.

“In such cases, the concurrent use of drugs or alcohol can be associated with an exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms or with decreased medication compliance.

“Another factor leading to increased referrals is the increased exposure to violence in our community which may lead to an acute stress reaction.

“People may also be more likely to use MWI services rather than access a private psychiatrist or psychologist if they are experiencing financial hardships.

“It is hard to extrapolate MWI figures to the country as we don’t see everyone and there are other private practices and organisations who provide counselling and consultations.”