Grant Thornton, in collaboration with the Richmond Foundation, has organised a series of training sessions aimed at increasing mental health awareness among its employees. Mental health has become an increasingly important issue amongst the general population, especially youth, in the past two years. This is a direct consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and emerging international conflicts, triggering people to experience unprecedented isolation and fear.

According to a study published by the Richmond Foundation in April, teenagers and young adults experienced feelings of anxiety, sadness, and depression. As reported in the research, 70 per cent of those interviewed were subject to feelings of anxiety, while 35 per cent of participants declared that they felt anxious “very often”.

The training sessions, which took place during European Mental Health Week 2022, focused on the importance of maintaining work-life balance, identifying the first symptoms of burnout, managing stress, learning practical relaxation techniques, and building emotional strength.

“Our employee demographic is mainly composed of young people who are less than 30 years of age. We believe that by training our people in techniques to help themselves or others, and to recognise early warning signs of mental health issues, we are providing them with a skill relevant for a healthy life”  said Charmaine Farrugia, managing director at Grant Thornton. These training sessions have also been partially funded by Investing in Skills scheme ESF.03.S1 under the EU Funds for Malta 2014-2020 as managed by Jobsplus.