Director of Mental Health Services at the BVI Health Services Authority, Dr. Virginia Rubaine.
Mental health professionals in the BVI are reporting measurable success in reducing anxiety among students, following the rollout of a targeted school-based intervention programme now gaining regional recognition.
Speaking recently on Talking Points with host Damion Grange, Director of Mental Health Services at the BVI Health Services Authority, Dr Virginia Rubaine explained that the Virgin Islands Youth Mental Health Programme was launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. The initiative was designed after territory-wide school assessments revealed that many students were struggling to cope emotionally.
“What we consistently heard is that the kids were not coping,” Dr Rubaine said. “They lacked emotional vocabulary, had difficulty regulating their emotions, and were not making good decisions.” In response, the team of mental health professionals introduced a preventative, skills-based intervention directly into public schools. The programme taught students how to express emotions, manage distress, and navigate challenging situations — skills intended to support both academic success and long-term personal development.
To ensure the programme’s effectiveness, students were assessed before and after participation. According to Dr Rubaine, the results were clear.
“We were very happy to see that the skills had an impact, particularly in reducing anxiety significantly,” she stated. “When children understand how to navigate situations, they feel less fearful and more confident.” The findings are especially important as educators and several sections of the community continue to grapple with behavioural disruptions of students both in and out of classrooms.
Dr Rubaine noted that equipping students with emotional regulation tools not only benefits the individual child but also supports a healthier learning environment for others.
In the meantime, with this success, the findings and methodology of the programme are now set to be presented at the Caribbean Public Health Agency’s (CARPHA) upcoming scientific conference in Guyana. Dr Rubaine said she hopes other Caribbean mental health experts will learn something from the BVI’s study, to help improve the lives of communities they work with in their home countries.
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