World Mental Health Day 2025 Message from the Alex Panton Foundation

Today, on World Mental Health Day, the Alex Panton Foundation (APF) joins the global community in reflecting on this year’s theme, Access to Services – Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies.

In the Cayman Islands, as in many parts of the world, we have faced emergencies and crises that have tested our resilience. The COVID-19 pandemic represented perhaps the most significant mental health challenge in recent times. During that period, our team collaborated with school counsellors and mental health care providers to implement programmes designed to address the many uncertainties brought about by the pandemic.

While these efforts helped to ease some of the pressures experienced by our young people, the scale and complexity of those uncertainties also contributed to an increase in mental health challenges among them. Even so, those circumstances provided a meaningful chance for growth, an opportunity to come together as a community, to foster positive change and ensure that every individual has access to the care and support they need.

While global emergencies such as the pandemic have tested our collective spirit, the more regional and annual threat of hurricane season is a constant reminder that preparedness must extend beyond physical safety to include mental and emotional wellbeing. In response, our team recently developed a community presentation aimed at discussing and easing concerns during hurricane threats. These sessions, introduced at the start of the hurricane season, were so well received that we were invited by teachers to deliver them in schools. This initiative not only provided practical guidance on preparedness but also helped normalise conversations around fear and anxiety in times of uncertainty, underscoring the vital importance of mental wellness and community connection in navigating difficult times.

At the Alex Panton Foundation, we believe that no young person should feel alone on their journey. We have seen firsthand how access to the right services can transform lives, restore hope, and build resilience. At the heart of our mission is the belief that fostering a sense of belonging and hope is essential to promoting mental wellbeing. Strong connections with others and confidence in a positive future protect against challenges such as depression and anxiety and are fundamental to living a meaningful and healthy life.

This World Mental Health Day, let us celebrate how far we have come as a community in breaking stigma and opening conversations about mental health. While mental health challenges remain part of our reality, they do not have to define our future. Together, through awareness, compassion, and collective action, we can strengthen our resilience in the face of emergencies or disasters.

Working side by side, we can turn growing concern into lasting progress, building a future where mental health is valued as equally as physical health because there is no health without mental health. The Alex Panton Foundation will continue to stand at the heart of this movement, helping to build a future where wellness, resilience, and hope are within everyone’s reach.