In the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Melissa’s catastrophic landfall in October 2025, Jamaica continues to confront profound psychological trauma among its population. The Category 5 storm, compounded by the earlier impact of Hurricane Beryl in July 2024, has created unprecedented mental health challenges, particularly in coastal communities where residents experienced life-threatening situations.
Recognizing the critical need for intervention, St Elizabeth South Western MP Floyd Green initiated the emergency mental health program ‘Hope Beyond Melissa.’ This comprehensive response effort, implemented in partnership with the Southern Regional Health Authority, represents one of Jamaica’s most significant disaster mental health mobilizations.
Clinical psychologist Amanda Fraser leads the program, which rapidly deployed over 30 mental health professionals within days of the hurricane’s impact. The team has since expanded to include 51 psychologists, six psychiatrists, and numerous clergy members providing essential psychosocial support across at least 35 affected communities.
The program’s approach focuses on community-based care, establishing child-friendly spaces even in areas with complete infrastructure destruction. Fraser emphasizes the transformative nature of their work: ‘Seeing the gratitude for mental health support in a country where it has been stigmatized represents a remarkable shift in attitudes.’
To date, the initiative has provided critical psychological first aid to more than 1,500 survivors, including both residents and emergency responders. The program’s success has prompted calls for expanded intervention, with the Ministry of Health now mobilizing resources for broader implementation.
Particular concern remains for elderly survivors who have lost lifelong investments and face retirement in precarious circumstances. Green emphasizes the need for consistent, widespread mental health support across all severely affected regions, noting that the psychological impact of losing everything in hours requires sustained professional intervention.
The program continues to seek additional mental health professionals to address the overwhelming need, representing a new paradigm in post-disaster psychological care for Caribbean nations facing increasingly severe weather events.