While mental health has been deteriorating amongst youths and adults, physical health is on the increase, the president of the Maltese Association of Psychiatry Nigel Camilleri said.
During a press conference discussing a 2018 Report on Staffing Levels among Psychiatrists in Malta, he said that at present there are only 11 adult psychiatrists and 15 consultant psychiatrists.
When compared to what the international standard recommends, Malta needs around 50 to 60 adult consultants psychiatrists and at least 9 full-time child psychiatrists.
A psychiatrist working full-time in Malta reviews an average of 2.8 new cases per week and 27 follow-ups per week. The Royal College of Psychiatrists’ recommendation would be 1-2 new assessments a week and 10-17 follow up case slots.
One in ten children suffer from mental disorders before the age of 18, Camilleri said. Chronic diseases such as depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have high rates of long-term morbidity and mortality. Currently, there are no full-time child and adolescent psychiatrists in Malta.
There is only one warranted child psychologist available, leading to an indefinite waiting list for children to get a mental health diagnosis.
Camilleri said that, according to statistics, the number of psychiatrists per capita in Malta is the lowest in Europe, whilst the number of patients reviewed per psychiatrist per year is one of the highest.
The association, instructed by the Ministry of Health, reflected on the current national mental health services. The ‘2018 Report on Staffing Levels in Malta’s NHS, and Comparison with Recommended Standards’ sheds light on the amount of work that must be done within the mental health services in Malta.
The data referred to within the report is obtained from 2017 annual reports that are mainly sourced from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK. Camilleri said that the association was concerned about the accuracy of the little data available, and that there is a lack of any meaningful epidemiological data on mental health and disorders.
Working towards building a Mental Health Community
The way we work towards improving community health services will benefit numerous sectors within society, Camilleri said. With a full multidisciplinary team, all professionals trained in mental health, including psychiatrists, nurses and social workers will reduce the workload and also improve the quality of patient service, which is a priority.
By reducing the burden of mental disorders on the individual, the government also saves millions of euros on treatment for mental disorders.
Currently there are no specialised community services, no home treatment provisions and a lack of specialised teams working with children and adolescents.
Camilleri said the association hopes that the publication of the National Health Strategy will set things in motion for mental health awareness.