A lack of research on Bermuda’s mental health means the care system is struggling to cope, according to experts.

Jodi Lewis, of the Bermuda Mental Health Foundation, said accurate statistics did not exist.

She added: “You’re going to be looking for Casper. It’s like a ghost.”

Ms Lewis criticised mental healthcare in the prison system for not being “evidence-based”, which left organisations such as the BMHF in the dark when it came to tackling mental-health problems.

She said: “We don’t know exactly what’s going on. My estimate is that it’s not as successful as it should be. It could be greatly improved like all mental healthcare.”

Ms Lewis added the problem was that no one took mental health seriously enough to conduct research.

She said: “We need to keep the conversation open.

“It’s a fundamental institutional problem from legislation to human rights.”

Sebastian Henagulph, forensic psychiatrist for the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute and Westgate prison, said the island lacked basic statistics on mental illness, which meant professionals did not know the scale of the problem.

He added: “I wouldn’t know.”

Dr Henagulph explained: “Normally most countries do phone surveys of the population to give an idea.

“I’m not aware Bermuda’s actually done that.

“I think that needs to be done in the long run — get an idea of how many people we are dealing with and that will tell us what kind of services we need to develop.”

Dr Henagulph said that in addition to lack of funds to carry out research, Bermuda needed “people getting together and deciding that that’s what they want to do”.

MP and former Minister of National Security Jeff Baron said it was “critical” to have statistics on the mental state of criminals in Bermuda.

Mr Baron helped Bermuda become a member of the National Network for Safe Communities as national security minister in the last Government.

And he praised the New York-based project for being “socially focused” and for addressing trauma care.

Mr Baron said: “The end goal is healing those involved.”

He added that the best thing about the NNSF was its intention to use cognitive-behavioural therapy for individuals traumatised by gang violence and crime, as well as their families.

He added: “It’s proven to be very successful in other places.”

Mr Baron also criticised the mental healthcare system in Bermuda and called it “perverse”.

He said: “We’re waiting until young men and women are incarcerated to check trauma.”

And the lack of evidence means prison staff have to estimate the number of people who require mental health treatment.

Commissioner of Corrections Edward Lamb said: “We have an idea of numbers but we don’t keep accurate statistics because each one is at a different level of psychological issues.”

He added: “In terms of a percentage I would say about 10 per cent have real psychological issues.”

Lieutenant-Colonel Lamb said: “We have seen over the years a steady increase in the number of people coming to us with psychological issues.”

Dr Henagulph added that the majority of inmates do not have the extreme psychological disorders that he is trained to deal with as a psychiatrist.

He said that most inmates probably had personality disorders, mild depression or anxiety which was generally treated by psychologists.

But he added that Westgate has only two psychologists for 150 prisoners.

Dr Henagulph said: “I think we can do with a few more psychologists because that’s where the bulk of the work is — more gang-affiliated and social types needing therapy rather than medications.”

The PLP platform for this year’s General Election pledged to “conduct a comprehensive review of mental health services in Bermuda and make progressive reforms to adequately address mental health challenges in our community”.

Minister of Health Kim Wilson said: “The Ministry is working with BHB and other stakeholders in making revisions to the Mental Health Act.”

She added: “Consultation will begin shortly explaining the nature of the changes proposed, including addressing mental capacity issues.”