Across Suriname, thousands of families face a crippling barrier when seeking mental health support for their children and adolescents: prohibitive treatment costs that put life-changing care out of reach. This gap in access does not just leave needs unmet — it often forces families to abandon ongoing treatment early, or delay seeking help until mild mental health or developmental concerns escalate into severe, harder-to-treat issues. Leading local child and youth psychologist Janine Barrow, affiliated with Suriname’s Diakonessenhuis, is calling for urgent systemic change to address this crisis, pushing for expanded insurance coverage, greater investment in school-based mental health services, and widespread public education to reduce lingering stigma.
Barrow’s work centers on supporting patients from infancy through age 19, providing a full spectrum of care that includes one-on-one therapy, developmental and psychological assessments — such as IQ testing, autism screenings, ADHD evaluations, and in-school behavioral observations — alongside psychoeducation for families and guided counseling for parents navigating their child’s challenges. In her clinical practice, the most common concerns she sees include developmental delays, neurodivergence such as autism and ADHD, learning difficulties, persistent behavioral challenges, symptoms of depression, trauma stemming from parental divorce, and anxiety disorders triggered by chronic bullying.
Barrow emphasizes that early, targeted intervention is the most effective way to prevent small issues from escalating into long-term impairment. By involving parents and school staff in treatment where appropriate, she says, care teams can equip caregivers with practical, actionable strategies to support young people at home and in the classroom, reducing the severity of symptoms and often preventing issues from becoming chronic.
“Mental health shapes every part of a young person’s daily life, from their ability to learn to their long-term physical health,” Barrow explains. Chronic unaddressed stress, she notes, does not only impact emotional well-being — it can lead to persistent physical health complaints, disrupt academic progress, and create barriers to successful employment later in life. She also outlines key warning signs that parents should watch for that may indicate a child needs professional support: sudden, unexplained changes in behavior, persistent sleep or eating disturbances, dropping grades, excessive worrying, and any expression of suicidal thoughts.
Alongside access barriers, Barrow says persistent misinformation and stigma around mental health care still stop many families from reaching out for help early. Common misconceptions she encounters include the belief that only people with severe mental illness need to see a psychologist, or that mental health issues can be resolved in a single therapy session. “Psychological support requires time and active participation from the client,” she notes. “But it is not just for people facing severe conditions — it is for any young person or family that wants to build better coping skills for stress or invest in personal growth.”
Barrow identifies Suriname’s ongoing economic challenges as the single largest barrier to accessible youth mental health care. For most working families, the out-of-pocket cost of ongoing therapy is prohibitive, leading many to end treatment before it is complete. To address this, she is calling for policy changes to expand insurance reimbursement for psychological services, place more full-time mental health providers in primary and secondary schools, and expand access to specialized education for young people with mental health and developmental needs.
While Barrow has observed a gradual reduction in the cultural stigma around seeking mental health care in recent years, many families still hesitate to reach out for support when their child first shows signs of struggle. For this reason, she argues, widespread public outreach and education about mental health is an essential part of expanding access. Her core message to families across Suriname is clear: “Do not wait to seek help if you notice your child is struggling. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and getting support early makes all the difference.”