The government has launched a mental health helpline that can be reached around the clock amid a 25% increase in mental health problems globally.
During a press conference addressed by Health Minister Chris Fearne, the number 1579 was launched and is available and operating from Wednesday. It will provide access to eight specially trained psychologists who will provide help, while individuals can also access help directly at Mount Carmel Hospital, a specialist mental health facility.
Fearne said the helpline was needed after an increasing number of calls to the country’s COVID-19 helpline. While critics fear the helpline will not be enough, the government said others are in the pipeline.
“During the pandemic, we realised that many people were calling the swab test helpline 111 not to book an appointment, but to speak to someone about their mental health and how they were feeling,” he said.
The service will also facilitate making appointments in a short amount of time, the Head of Mental Health Services in Mount Carmel Anton Grech added.
“At any moment in time, if a person feels that they need help, they can call, and they will find a professional with which he can talk to,” he said, adding that additional services will be offered from the hospital.
Mental health issues have been rising across several Europe for many years, but this accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Children and young people are particularly hard hit. A non-binding report voted through the European Parliament in September stated that between 10-20% of children and young people faced mental health problems before the pandemic and multiple lockdowns, a figure that now lies at approximately 20-25%.
Meanwhile, a mental health strategy, first announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, is on next year’s agenda, Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič told a Parliamentary plenary debate in mid-October.
Pencilled in for the second quarter of 2023, the strategy mentioned in the State of the European Union speech in September will be one of several actions on health.
“We will adopt a comprehensive approach to mental health and other key initiatives to emerge from the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE),” Šefčovič said, referencing the conclusions from citizens engaged in CoFoE, which took place in 2021 and 2022.
(Alice Taylor | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
