Letters to the Editor
Newsday
An Hour Ago
Dr Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor –
DR MARGARET
NAKHID-CHATOOR
THE 2025-2026 BUDGET delivered on October 13 has been described by some as a blueprint of hope. It arrived with the promise of transformation. A new administration, a new Finance Minister, and a new theme: “T&T First: Building Economic Fairness through Accountable Fiscal Policies.”
Minister Davendranath Tancoo’s debut budget was polished, thematic, and politically poised, and the realignment of ministries hinted at strategic repositioning. However, its approach to mental health and inclusion felt like a continuation of ideals and tokenisms – not a disruption geared towards strategic and urgent changes for vulnerable groups and inclusions for disabilities.
Accountability was promised. Fairness was branded. But for those living with mental illness, navigating disability, or fighting for recognition, the race remains uphill – and the baton, though passed, has not changed in any critical direction.
The Social Sector Investment Programme, released alongside the budget, did not hesitate to reveal a known factor: TT ranks third in the Caribbean for the prevalence of mental illness. Schizophrenia, mood disorders, substance abuse, and suicide are not fringe issues – they are national concerns. Yet the budget’s response to the challenge of mental illness and inclusion, despite what was celebrated by other writers, felt tepid in my opinion.
The government pledged to decentralise mental health services, moving toward community-based care. This is a progressive move, especially in a country where mental illness remains stigmatised and access to care is uneven. But the announcement lacked the scaffolding necessary to make it real: A commendable goal, but with what urgency? Where are the timelines, the infrastructure, the workforce development plans?
In many of my writings I have long advocated for mental health reform beginning at the earliest stages of development – within early childhood care and education and primary schools. Mental health education literacy must be embedded in the curriculum, not treated as an afterthought. Children need access to trained professionals, safe spaces, and early screening for emotional and behavioural challenges. Without this foundation, we are merely reacting to crises rather than preventing them.
In addition, for a budget themed around fairness, the silence on inclusion was deafening. Inclusion is not just a policy – it is a practice that must begin in the classroom, supported by trained educators, diagnostic tools, and a culture of acceptance.
While the budget spoke broadly of social investment and economic fairness, it failed to outline specific measures for people with disabilities, neurodivergent individuals, and other vulnerable groups.
There was no mention of targeted programmes, no expansion of early intervention services, and no clear strategy for integrating mental health literacy into the education system. These omissions are not minor – they reflect a continued marginalisation of communities whose needs are often overlooked in national planning.
And was there mention of LGBTQ+ protections and improvements? Despite growing advocacy and the publication of CAISO’s 2024 “Wholeness and Justice” report, which highlighted systemic discrimination and barriers to care, the budget made no reference to LGBTQ+ mental health support, anti-discrimination policies, or community outreach. This absence reinforces the perception that LGBTQ+ issues remain politically sensitive and socially sidelined, even as calls for equity and justice grow louder.
If this administration truly wants to build economic fairness, it must do more than rebrand the race. It must redraw the track – laying new lanes for inclusion, mental health, and social justice. Otherwise, the baton pass becomes symbolic and not strategic.
For decades, TT has been running laps around the same issues. Mental health remains underfunded and misunderstood. Inclusion is treated as a footnote. Social justice is invoked in speeches but rarely embedded in policy. The runners may change, but the course remains familiar – circular, narrow, and built for the few who may have ties and know somebody who know somebody. All yuh get through yet?
This accountability is about options, sorely needed in a society that has been weakened by too many adversities. Redrawing the track means more than shifting budget lines. It means reimagining how we define progress and investing in community-based mental health care with urgency. It means embedding inclusion into every ministry – not as a siloed initiative, but as a standard, and listening to those voices who have been left behind – building systems that don’t just accommodate them, but empower them.
In the end, budgets are more than numbers – they are moral documents. They reveal not just what a nation can afford, but what it chooses to prioritise. This year’s presentation may have been polished and poised, but for those living with mental illness, navigating disability, or seeking recognition in marginalised communities, it seems to offer more of a continuity of the same ole same than courageous efforts made for measurable outcomes in the short term.
If we are to build a society that is fair, inclusive, and mentally resilient, then our fiscal choices must reflect that vision – not in slogans, but in systems.
The baton has been passed. Now it is time to chart a new track – one that is urgent, accountable, and inclusive of every citizen. If we don’t redraw the track, we’ll keep passing the baton in a race for mental health and inclusion that has been limping along for decades.
Mr Minister, that time is
now!
Dr Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor is a psychologist and educator
