O-26 The role of law in addressing the hidden pandemic’ of mental health in the Commonwealth Caribbean – An examination of legislative reform in The Bahamas and Guyana

Methods: The mental health legislation of The Bahamas and Guyana were sourced from the respective government online portals and online searches conducted of WHO/PAHO databases and websites for relevant country reports, mental health data, policy and legislative guidance. Searches were also conducted in broader peer-reviewed and grey literature on these countries’ implementation experience. Searches were conducted between December 2023 and November 2024. Our review was limited by the availability of online information and the paucity of published research on these countries’ implementation experience to date.

Results: In The Bahamas, the passage of their legislation has supported “transformative progress in both the quality and accessibility of mental health programs and services,underpinned by a renewed emphasis on human rights and community-based solutions”. Similarly, in Guyana the passage of the new legislation has prompted allocation of resources to mental health services together with further policy development in the form of a new National Mental Health Action Plan and National Suicide Prevention Plan.

Conclusion: Law has a role to play in promoting mental health, especially by adopting a rights-based approach to mental health law. The Bahamas and Guyana experiences show that, properly implemented with the appropriate financing, rights-based mental health reforms can positively contribute to the management of mental health issues and help transform societal attitudes to mental health.