Appeals for stronger awareness issued on World Mental Health Day
Many people suffer in silence
Calls for greater awareness and action over mental health were made on Tuesday, the International Day of Mental Health.
The Nationalist Party said many people were suffering in silence, but there was need for greater awareness about their plight.
Among its proposals, the PN said a new mental hospital should be built near Mater Dei Hospital and the quality of treatment for mental care should not be different from that of other illnesses.
New advanced medicines need to be included in the government's formulary for easier access.
Education programmes also need to be drawn up to end the stigma that mental health still carries. Students and workers should also be assessed so that conditions related to mental illness could be detected.
NGOs involved in this sector should be given greater support and it should be made easier for those in need to find immediate help. The ‘safe spaces concept’ should be developed, with the provision of premises where people could seek refuge when they need to be on their own without distraction.
Joint appeal by the bishops of Malta and Gozo
The bishops of Malta and Gozo in a joint statement thanked all those who work in the mental health sector.
They urged society to support those who needed help, particularly the lonely and those who felt alone. A kind word could be extremely useful in difficult circumstances, they said.