In Europe, 9 million people between the ages of 15 and 30 suffer from mental health problems

According to Mental Health Europe (MHE), 9 million young people between the ages of 15 and 30 suffer from mental health problems in Europe.

The Secretariat of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Mental Illness presented this data at a conference of European Mental Health Week.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 50% of adult mental health problems begin in adolescence, and Malta is said to be in a similar position.

More than 20 organizations in Malta have worked with the Commissioner’s office to promote Mental Health Week in Europe, fight for the prevention of mental illness and provide support to service users.

The video played at the conference states that as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of people between the ages of 15 and 24 suffering from mental health problems has doubled.

Dennis Bella Baldaccino of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Mental Illness said the Mental Health Awareness Week is focused on adolescents and adolescents as the effects of the pandemic surface. He said prevention needs to be pointed out before the problem escalate and prevention is an important tool.

Vella Baldacchino needs to focus more on the education of children and adolescents while much is happening and act at a faster pace to raise awareness and knowledge on this issue. I said there is.

The director of Dar Kenn Għal Saħħtek Darlene Zerafa talked about the work being done at the center focused on the treatment of eating disorders and obesity in Malta.

She said that involving the patient is a top priority, as treatment is rarely successful without the patient’s involvement. Zerafa said the center is linked to a holistic approach, group and individual therapies, and family support for individuals. Zerafa said the center is focused on emotional support and is fighting stigma against mental health illnesses.

Athletes and mental health advocates Stephen Sammut Nurminen talked about his story as an athlete and how fitness is a useful tool in combating mental illness. Sammut Nurminen said he will continue to challenge to raise awareness of mental health and will continue to run 365km on Sicily.

Josianne Scerri, Dean of the Department of Mental Health at the University of Malta, found in a survey of young people aged 13 to 25 that men are more difficult to seek help than women. In fact, women have shown greater initiative to seek help from therapists, while men have shown some resistance to relying on therapy.

Hesitating to ask for help includes social implications such as discrimination and judgment, as well as general anxiety about fear of opening, Scerri said.

Anton Grech, Chairman of Dar Kenn Għal Saħħtek and Clinical Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry of the Ministry of Health, talked about mental health services on the island with the aim of improving the capacity of the mental health workforce. Gretsch talked about the Crisis Resolution Home Care Team (CRHT) service launched in January 2022. This service is referred by the A & E department of Mater Dei Hospital and the hospital’s liaison psychiatry. He said admission to the hospital was the last resort.

Antoinette Vassallo of the Committee on the Rights of the Child said that during the pandemic, isolation from school exposed children to mental health illnesses. She said she needed more encouragement for children and adolescents to look for help when needed, and for parents to do so for themselves and their children.

Vassallo talked about the stress and anxiety of adolescents and said that mental health hospitals need ample space for children and adolescents, and that they also need a program to involve them in the process.

Honorary Chairman and President of the Malta Trust Foundation, Marie Louise Correiro Preca, said the mental health sector is still stigmatized and that the participation of young people and children is still important in the fight against mental health prevention.

Coleiro Preca said that all individuals can be susceptible to mental health problems. Therefore, more resources are needed, not just national mental health screening and infrastructure.

The Secretariat of the Mental Illness Rights Commission, whose mission is to empower young people, to be actively involved in mental health decisions, and to provide targeted mental health support at every stage of an individual’s life. Said to provide.