A landmark new mental health support platform tailored for children and young people has officially launched in Antigua and Barbuda, marking a historic first for mental health access across the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Named the Young Caribbean Minds (YCM) Chatline, this service is the region’s first free, anonymous text-based platform that integrates both mental health support and child protection resources.
The initiative is the product of a cross-sector collaborative partnership between the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, UNICEF, the University of the West Indies (UWI), the OECS Commission, and the Zenith Centre. Its dual mission is to deliver confidential psychosocial support to young people while creating a clear pathway to connect vulnerable children to formal child protection services when risk is identified.
The development of both the chatline and Antigua and Barbuda’s upcoming Mental Health Care Bill 2026 was directly informed by the largest youth mental health consultation ever held in the Eastern Caribbean. Over 1,000 children and young people contributed their perspectives through surveys, focus groups, and national dialogues, making this the first documented effort in the Caribbean to center youth input directly in shaping national mental health legislation.
The consultation’s findings are published in the *Youth Voices: Mental Health Care Bill Survey Report*, which captures feedback from respondents aged 10 to 19. Key results revealed that stigma remains the single largest barrier to youth accessing mental health care: 34.2% of respondents reported fear of judgment stopped them from seeking help. More than half of participants called for stronger safeguarding provisions in the new legislation, while nearly 90% expressed support for the bill’s rights-centered framework. Privacy was ranked the top factor for building trust in mental health services, and text-based online chat was identified as the second most preferred method of accessing support.
UNICEF confirmed that these insights directly shaped the design of the YCM Chatline. The platform operates through real-time text support delivered by trained UWI volunteers, who work under the continuous supervision of licensed professional psychologists. A core feature of the service is full anonymity: users can access support without sharing any personal identifiable information, while an integrated referral system automatically connects children flagged as at-risk to appropriate child protection authorities.
At the launch ceremony, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne framed access to mental health care as a fundamental human right, drawing on personal experience to explain his long-standing advocacy for expanded mental health services across the country and the broader Caribbean region.
“I have been an advocate of mental health care for everyone as a fundamental right,” Browne stated. “I’ve advocated here in Antigua and Barbuda, within the region, the OECS and the United Nations, and I’m very happy to be participating in this programme, which has mental health at its epicentre.”
Addressing the persistent stigma surrounding mental illness, Browne shared, “Unfortunately, the issue of mental health has been stigmatized globally. The reason why I’m so committed to this issue is personal. Many of you may not be aware that I grew up in a single-parent home with a mentally ill mother… many times there was a crisis that could not be addressed, which made it very difficult for me and my siblings.”
Maryam Abdu, Acting UNICEF Representative for the Eastern Caribbean Area Office, called the launch a transformative milestone in expanding safe, confidential youth mental health access across the region.
“Today we reaffirm our commitment to every young person in the Caribbean: your voice matters, your feelings matter, and help is available,” Abdu said. “The Young Caribbean Minds Chatline provides a free, confidential, and accessible space so no child has to struggle alone.”
Abdu emphasized that the project reflects the Caribbean region’s commitment to centering youth needs in policy and service design: “Our region has shown the courage to listen—now we are responding. By expanding this Chatline across Eastern Caribbean member states and offering bilingual support, we are ensuring that support is truly inclusive and reaches the young people who need it most.”
She added that the initiative goes far beyond adding a new support service: “Young Caribbean Minds is more than a service—it is a promise. Built with young people’s voices and guided by local partnerships, this initiative strengthens resilience, protects children and gives families and communities the tools to help every child thrive.”
Dr. Camille Samuel, Registrar at UWI’s Five Islands Campus, highlighted the university’s role in training the chatline’s volunteer support team. “Seeing our Five Islands students step forward as volunteer chat supporters fills me with pride,” she said. “Their year-long training will build a community of empathetic, skilled peers who can change lives.”
The full public launch follows a successful five-month pilot program that delivered more than 1,000 support sessions, with 88% of pilot users reporting they would use the service again. The initiative has already earned international acclaim: it was recognized as a global best practice at the Global Conference on Child and Adolescent Mental Health in South Africa, and placed as a top three finalist in the UNICEF Global INSPIRE Awards out of more than 300 global submissions.
The official launch ceremony brought together a broad coalition of stakeholders, including Prime Minister Browne, Minister of Health, Wellness, the Environment and Civil Service Affairs Michael Joseph, Minister of Social Transformation Kiz Johnson, senior government leaders, development partners, civil society representatives, and youth delegates. Representatives from Antigua and Barbuda’s National Student Council and National Youth Parliament Association also addressed the gathering, praising the government’s commitment to expanded mental health services and calling for sustained youth inclusion in future policymaking.
The YCM Chatline received formal endorsement from OECS Health Ministers during the OECS Health Policy Forum in April 2025, and is being developed as a regional resource for all nine OECS member states. After this initial soft launch in Antigua and Barbuda, volunteer training and platform refinement will continue ahead of a phased rollout across the country and the broader Eastern Caribbean. The expansion of the initiative is set to be a key topic of discussion at the Second OECS Council of Ministers on Youth and Sports, which will be hosted by Antigua and Barbuda on August 12 and 13, 2026.