More than half the schoolchildren supported by The Blossom Project during the last academic year were dealing with difficulties at home, according to new findings that reveal the pressures children as young as four are bringing into the classroom.

Of the 929 students who received support through The Malta Trust Foundation's counselling service, 54 per cent were experiencing family-related stressors, including conflict between parents, difficulties surrounding separation and strained family relationships.

Blossom's counsellors highlighted the impact of long working hours, financial hardship and housing insecurity, with some children spending long days in school and after-school care, or returning to empty homes where digital devices are often their only companion.

Compiled and authored by Dr Mary Grace Vella, the report also found that 112 children (12.06 per cent) had been referred with fears about their safety and welfare, including possible abuse or neglect. In 25 of these cases, more than one form of harm or vulnerability was identified.

Veronica Ellul Federici, The Blossom Project psychologist and clinical lead, said some of her most painful experiences involved children repeatedly disclosing emotional abuse or neglect while waiting for child protection intervention.

"You listen, you validate their feelings, and you work hard to ensure they feel safe enough to speak. Yet, when the child continues to wait for child protection intervention, you are painfully aware that providing emotional support is not the same as ensuring their safety," she said.

These findings form part of a report, themed "...Can you hear me?", examining the mental health and wellbeing of schoolchildren in 15 State schools across seven colleges. It was presented at the annual Blossom conference held at the Salini Hotel today.

Ellul Federici called on authorities to invest heavily in early intervention, particularly during the primary school years, and to equip educators and schools to build emotionally and sensory-safe environments.

Blossom, which last year helped 1,019 individuals, including students, parents and teachers, is also under tremendous strain as its small team of 15 practitioners struggles to meet the demands, resulting in high caseload burdens and practitioner burnout.

"School-based counselling alone cannot compensate for wider gaps across education, health, and social care. Supporting children's mental health must be a shared, multi-agency responsibility, with the child's voice kept firmly at the centre," Ms Ellul Federici urged.

The report, authored by Mary Grace Vella, also found that almost seven in 10 students referred to Blossom were experiencing emotional distress, particularly anxiety, worries and difficulties managing their emotions.

Counsellors said these difficulties tended to manifest themselves through disruptive behaviour, aggression or problems with relationships and socialisation. Equally concerning, however, were children who internalised their feelings and risked going unnoticed because they displayed no obvious signs of distress.

The report also highlighted the challenges children from different cultural backgrounds were facing. Foreign nationals, refugees and asylum seekers accounted for 25.4 per cent of students, with 63 nationalities represented overall.

Apart from language barriers, isolation and the trauma of displacement, practitioners reported instances of racism and stereotyping involving both pupils and adults within school communities.

Ellul Federici said the findings showed how complex children's needs had become, with emotional difficulties often overlapping with family problems, safeguarding concerns and neurodevelopmental needs.

She also pointed to the high number of referrals among schoolchildren in Years 4 to 7, who accounted for more than half the students who sought help, at an age when academic expectations, developmental changes and social pressures became more demanding.

Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, The Malta Trust Foundation executive chair and founder of this essential project, said the findings sent a very clear message about the difficulties children faced.

"Too many of our children are carrying burdens no child should carry alone. Behind every statistic is a young person struggling with anxiety, family difficulties, exclusion, trauma, or uncertainty about the future.

"Despite the complexity of many of the cases, improvement was recorded in 51 per cent of students supported by Blossom, highlighting the value of making counselling available within schools and the urgency to grow this service.

"The wellbeing of our children must become a national priority. The cost of inaction is simply too high. Every child deserves to be heard, supported, and given the chance to reach their full potential," she said.