The Nationalist Party said Friday that we need to profoundly analyse and find effective solutions to decrease Malta’s suicide number, adding that, despite various initiatives for mental health, statistics show that they are not enough.

In a statement, Bernice Bonello, Shadow Minister for Youth and Creation of New Spaces, and Ian Vassallo, Shadow minister for Primary Care and Mental Health, said that statistics obtained from a Parliamentary Question by the PN clearly revealed that in recent years the amount of suicides in the country, especially those below 30 years, has increased.

Even 14-year-olds were committing suicide, they said.

Concern was expressed by the two PN MPs that we are losing so many teenagers. They added that the country’s situation, where we don’t live in a very healthy environment doesn’t help, as well as the additional heavy responsibility the youth face to keep up with life causing them to work longer hours even during their studies.

In the last few months, the PN made various proposals to better our mental health system especially for children and teenagers, they said. The PN MPs want to also see, apart from a better health sector, investments in the environment, education and a better quality of life.

Furthermore, in recent months the PN revealed its economic vision which will be able to address these challenges, including the crisis of the cost of living they said.

The Shadow Ministers said that all this must be addressed as soon as possible and we must see that our youth have good local opportunities and have their minds at ease about the future.