In an interview with this media house, Malta's European Commissioner Glenn Micallef said that mental health is a fundamental right, and is a reality that "we cannot ignore".
The solution, he said in an interview with this media house, must be comprehensive. "Housing insecurity alone can cause anxiety. We must have tools to address this. And we must also look at the role of culture and sport in mental health," Micallef said.
Micallef was appointed as Malta's representative on the European Commission last year, succeeding Helena Dalli. He took over the role for the next five years last December.
He said that sports are in fact, crucial for mental health, as it offers healthier alternatives to screen time, and helps both physical and mental wellbeing. He also cited WHO research linking cultural participation to better mental health.
"We have seen programmes across EU countries using culture to combat mental health challenges. These best practices must be shared and scaled," Micallef said.
He said that his office is working with the Commissioner for Health to prioritise mental health at EU level.
The topic of mental health is an extremely important one: Micallef is right to say that in this day and age mental health truly is a fundamental right.
We are lucky that today many of those living in the west have access to a sense of stability like never before in the world. Employment is at an all-time high, the vast majority of people have access to the most basic things needed in life, and a good chunk of people also have access to plenty of creature comforts that others in the developing world would consider luxuries.
Yet, to say that there is a mental health crisis - particularly in younger people - would not be too far off the mark.
Micallef himself during the interview cited figures showing that one in two young people today experiences loneliness, anxiety, or stress, among other mental illnesses.
This is a product of a lot of things, but not least the quality of life that people have. Because while almost everybody has a job and the vast majority can put food on the table, can anyone really argue that people's quality of life is anywhere near what it should be in an ideal world?
Prioritising mental health is an excellent idea - but it's a multi-faceted prospect which needs to be dealt with from all angles. We can speak of new mental health strategies, and investment in new services - and that in itself is great; but alone, it will only go so far.
We need to delve into the root cause: what is leading to people suffering from mental health issues significantly more now than in the past, particularly among younger generations? How much of that is down to the environment around us, be it outside, inside, or when we're alone with nothing but a mobile phone in hand?
Bold decisions are needed if we are to truly prioritise mental health and rank it as a fundamental right for everyone to enjoy.