There is a maternal mental health 'crisis' in VI- Mrs Sade Fonseca-Smith
Mrs Fonseca-Smith was the guest yesterday, Monday, May 12, 2025, on Talking Points on ZBVI 780 AM, where she sought to shed light on the topic and the work of the BVI Maternal Mental Health Initiative.
The group, founded in 2024, consists of eight women who are mothers and mental health champions with a mission to support, educate and advocate for maternal mental health in the Territory.
According to her, they are all on the same page with the belief that in the VI, more care is needed from the pregnancy state through to the postpartum stage, specifically surrounding women’s mental health, as during that time, a lot is happening.
“A lot of hormonal issues, a lot of stresses, a lot of outside factors that even just being pregnant can deplete your body of many things, especially nutrients…[that] eventually affect their mental health at times.”
A lot of women are suffering in silence
The maternal mental health advocate went a step further and said the group is of the view that there are a lot of women in the Territory who are “suffering in silence”, due to the discomfort and even stigma attached to the topic of mental health.
She explained that if someone says they are seeing a therapist, society, especially black society, is quick to label them as “crazy”.
“It’s always seen as a Caucasian thing to see a therapist or be on antidepressants, for instance, and so we know by having one-on-ones with a lot of these women, whether they are friends and family members or strangers, even [those] that have come to each of us separately.”
These women, Mrs Fonseca-Smith added, are even scared to speak about this to their doctors.
“We know because of that there won’t be statistics, there won’t be any data surveys or anything going on that we can have actual numbers to say this is a crisis in the BVI, but we know on the internal level on the one on one level that there is a crisis but it’s just not being talked about.”
Women fear losing their children
Some women, she continued, are afraid to come out and disclose that they are having problems with their mental health, as the stigma may also label them as being unfit to raise their children.
“That can lead to other things. Social Development can get involved in situations where persons are saying that a mother is unfit to raise her child. But, she really probably just needs a little extra help, a little extra support or her doctor to intervene, ask questions, to see a therapist, a nutritionist, an endocrinologist, whatever it may be that she’s needing in that moment.”
This type of support, she said, is not readily available, especially in the postpartum stages.
May 7, 2025, was observed as World Maternal Mental Health Awareness Day under the theme ‘Fight the Stigma’, which also kicked off observations for Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week from May 7 to 11, 2025.
The group also hosted its first-ever community awareness campaign, under the theme 'Your Voice, Your Strength. Because Stronger Mothers Make Stronger Communities', on May 7, 2025.
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2 Responses to “There is a maternal mental health 'crisis' in VI- Mrs Sade Fonseca-Smith”
But yea government ain care them could of made a sma facility by now but them hand only move fast for party,flights , and UK fights
What about others who had good health . The system here making people going mental unstable!
I was wondering the same thing couple months ago when will they speak about this ! I almost fell in depression I snap out of it through prayer when I sign for my medication I noticed a lot of names above mines and also pages. The government system is stressing! When it reached the door step they will be more attention!