The Richmond Foundation, which offers support to people with mental health problems, agrees there is the need for an emergency mental health service so long as it is offered for free and can be used by everyone.
“Such a service should be free of charge at the point of delivery, to ensure that people in a mental health crisis are able to access the service they need at that challenging point in their lives,” the NGO stressed in a statement.
Richmond Foundation was reacting to a recent story in which psychiatrist Mark Xuereb, who is a member of Crisis Resolution Malta (CRM) – a private network made up of professionals from various backgrounds – said CRM was working on bringing all stakeholders together, under the patronage of the presidency, to create a 24-hour, free three-digit national suicide crisis line.
Dr Xuereb has long been calling for a national suicide helpline and the setting up of a crisis resolution and home treatment team.
He also said his team had been piloting a new form of treatment that reduced suicidal thinking – theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
In reaction to this, the Richmond Foundation said: “Needless to say, there is nothing to stop somebody or some organisation from offering paying services, even in the mental health field.
“On the other hand, Richmond Foundation takes exception to the advertising of mental health services through the media which do not state in clear terms whether the service is free or not.”
Information disseminated about certain medical interventions, such as TMS, must at all times be accurate and backed by accredited scientific evidence. Any other information could jeopardise the patient’s right to suitable and adequate treatment based on their needs, means and circumstances in general, it said.
“The mental health patient has a right to reliable professional information and becoming professional behaviour based on established codes of ethics. It is the obligation of all those working in the mental health field to uphold this right at all times,” Richmond Foundation said.
The Commissioner for Mental Health had said TMS is currently not approved for use in reducing suicidal behaviour by leading international regulatory agencies.
“Published reliable scientific data indicates that TMS is only approved for use in the treatment of refractory depression. This means TMS may be considered for use only in cases of severe depression that has not responded to other forms of standard treatment, such as medication or psychotherapy, or where such forms of treatment may not be suitable. More safety studies are needed to determine long-term effects.”
The commissioner urged the authorities to urgently implement the National Emergency Psychiatric Response Service, appropriately resourced and functioning in accordance with best practice.
In February, the Malta Association of Psychiatry had said that while TMS could prove useful for people with depression who were not responding well to other methods, it was not a recommended first-line treatment in line with international guidelines.
Richmond Foundation can be contacted for information or guidance about mental health issues on freephone 1770.
The service is available Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm.