ROSE HALL, St James — Pointing to how confusing it can be for children to understand the increasingly prevalent trend, in some developed countries, for individuals to declare themselves other genders or forms of life, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton is stressing the importance of providing mental support to Jamaica’s youngsters.

“I see some discussions taking place now in the developed world primarily — I am not confining it to one country — around gender identity as a case in point. I am a ‘free speecher’ and a ‘freedom of choicer’, if there is such a word… [But] it must be very, as a child, a confusing state of affairs when the topical definition of whether you are a male or a female is now complicated by your being able to be a cat if you want to be a cat or any ‘other’ if you want to be any ‘other’,” said the health minister.

“I am saying it from the perspective that I am confused. Can you imagine the 12-year-old? And, I said to myself again and to you, it is a much more difficult time to exist now,” stated Tufton as he stressed why mental wellness should be a priority for parents as well as those working in the field of public health.

He was speaking at a Ministry of Health and Wellness Health Services Planning and Integration Child and Adolescent Mental Health Parenting Seminar held at Jewel Grande Resort and Spa in St James on Friday.

In addition to the traditional male and female, terms such as cisgender have now crept into mainstream use. So, too, have phrases such as gender dysphoria, defined as conflict between the sex you were assigned at birth and the gender with which you identify. This has seen some people referring to themselves as he/she/they and other combinations. In addition to some individuals identifying as animals, as Tufton noted, some are even claiming to be inanimate objects. Many Jamaicans, long intolerant of anything beyond the traditional, have scoffed at these ideas.

During his speech Tufton noted that social media has been one of the main sources of these confusing messages. He stressed the need for adults to be mentally healthy to provide the support and guidance children need.

“We need to find a safe space as parents and guardians. We need to find our refuge, seek our place to manage our circumstances,” the health minster encouraged. “We need to help our children to find their space for rest and relaxation.”

The health ministry, he said, has been providing such spaces.

As noted by child and adolescent mental health services director in the ministry, Dr Judith Leiber, the “do your share wellness bench initiative” has made progress within the education system.

“There are certain select schools which we have visited where we give them a bench as a symbol of a safe space… We have done that in about seven or eight schools so far,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Like Tufton, she spoke of the effects of social media and the need to balance it with human engagement.

“It was good during COVID; we were able to speak with each other. However, we have to realise that a lot of our children are being addicted to aspects of it. It is disrupting their sleep. It is disrupting their academic performance, and also their social interaction because they are depending on this electronic interaction as opposed to face-to-face interaction — which we as humans need,” Dr Leiber said.

It is a viewpoint that was not lost on Tarreic Brackett who spoke about how to communicate effectively with children.

“In my household we use evening time, as well as family time. We have our family time together where we speak about things that we are experiencing, and what we intend to do, and how to manage stuff like that — I think every household needs to actually know this. Always try to seek help as well because once you get help then you know you can understand one less stress,” she explained.

For National Council on Drug Abuse substance abuse officer for Westmoreland, Orain Ruddock the topics discussed during the seminar provided a refresher course.

“I can use it to guide other individuals who would need the information. So that said, it was very much an informative session,” stated Ruddock.

“If I should rate it out of a five, I will give it a five based on the content presentation and execution,” he added.