Animated videos developed by SBM Offshore Guyana to tackle stigma around mental illness among children and adolescents could be a vital tool in improving public understanding of mental health, Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the launch of a government mental health campaign in Georgetown, Dr. Anthony said the materials offer a powerful way to model behavior and identify mental health issues, both in children and adults. “The one that you just saw, you were able to identify a problem, you can model behavior, and you can teach someone what would be a problem. All of that is captured in that very, very short video,” he said.
The Minister added that the series could be a valuable resource for the country’s school health program, which currently focuses on physical screenings. He expressed confidence that the new content could fill critical gaps in how mental health information is delivered and understood, not just by students, but by adults as well.
The animated videos are part of the campaign that is designed to promote early recognition of mental health issues and encourage supportive responses from parents, teachers and peers. The project aligns with the government’s broader mental health strategy, which includes expanding school-based screening programs and leveraging digital tools like telemedicine and telepsychiatry to reach underserved areas.
The video series includes scenes in which characters experience stress, encouraging constructive ways adults can respond. “Instead of the parents screaming at a kid, as is reflected in [one] video, you have to have a totally different approach,” Dr. Anthony said.
The videos stem from a commitment made by SBM’s former CEO, Bruno Chabas, and renewed by its current CEO, Oivind Tangen, to support mental health awareness initiatives in the South American country.
The Minister talked about how social stigma can be a key barrier to early intervention and treatment for mental illness, explaining that youth often experience depression and other issues in silence, partly due to fear of judgment. He believes the animated storytelling could help normalize conversations about these issues.
The broader campaign, titled ‘Your Mental Health Matters’, includes a 24/7 chat service, a toll-free crisis hotline, and a dedicated website, which the Minister described as “a fantastic tool” for accessing updated mental health information and resources. “If you want to make this a tool, an advocate for mental health, then obviously you want to have a place where you can get those resources,” he said.
SBM Offshore develops floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels for the ExxonMobil-operated Stabroek Block. Having already delivered four specialized FPSOs, SBM Offshore is working on a fifth, called Jaguar, for the Whiptail project.
