Parliamentary secretary for the digital economy Silvio Schembri has landed himself in hot water on Twitter after he suggested that a user, which runs an anonymous account and is highly critical of the government, take Prozac “twice daily” to solve his “problems”.
Silvio Schembri quickly became subject to criticism for inadvertently mocking those with mental health issues by suggesting that the user take the drug which is used to treat major depressive disorder, bulimia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder.
Schembri was responding to Twitter user BugM, who often posts highly critical allegations about the government and other politicians however he or she do not show their true identity.
Months ago mental health awareness was pushed high on the Maltese agenda due to a young man having escaped Mount Carmel Hospital and committed suicide. He was supposed to be observed round the clock however he managed to escape out of a window in the bathroom.
In addition, a carnival van which mocked mental health patients at the same hospital was subject to harsh criticism by politicians across the board for fostering a pre-existing stigma against those suffering mental health.
Nationalist Party MEP Roberta Metsola was quick to share his insult, calling it “absolutely shameful”. Metsola went on to remind Schembri how politicians had recent came together to “combat" the stigma against #MentalHealth”. She referenced Malta’s Eurovision entry singer Christabelle Borg who’s song “break the taboo” was a message on mental health. Metsola said that while others are trying to break the taboo “Joseph Muscat’s mouthpiece in Cabinet [is] using this issue to try to deflect attention from some of the most serious allegations to date”.