Only one child psychologist in public mental health services

While mental health has been deteriorating among youths and adults, physical health is on the increase, according to Nigel Camilleri, president of the Maltese Association of Psychiatry.

He was speaking at a press conference on a report outlining staffing levels among psychiatrists in Malta. He warned that there were currently only 11 adult psychiatrists and 15 consultant psychiatrists.

According to international standards, Malta should have around 50 to 60 psychiatrists for adults and at least nine 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, while the Royal College of Psychiatrists recommends one to two new assessments a week and 10 to 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, while the number of patients reviewed per psychiatrist per year is one of the highest.

The association, instructed by the Ministry for 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 was obtained from 2017 annual reports mainly sourced from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UK’s Royal College of Psychiatrists. Camilleri said that the association was concerned about the accuracy of the little data available, and that there was a lack of any meaningful epidemiological data on mental health and disorders.

Working towards building a mental health community

Improving community health services would benefit numerous sectors of society, Camilleri said. A multidisciplinary team of professionals trained in mental health, including psychiatrists, nurses and social workers, would lead to a reduced workload and, most importantly, a better service for patients.

By tackling mental health issues more efficiently, the government would also be able to save millions on treatment.

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 hoped that the publication of the National Health Strategy would set things into motion for mental health awareness.