Crisis phone booths at suicide hotspots a must – psychiatrist

The setting up of crisis phone booths at suicide hotspots around Malta and Gozo, as well as a national crisis line run by trained professional are a must, according to crisis psychiatrist Mark Xuereb.

Dr Xuereb made these recommendations as the World Health Organisation this year focuses on depression and mental health. He believes that these subjects need to be spoken about more openly, to decrease the stigma.

According to Dr Xuereb, around 20% of the Maltese population is affected by depression. Moreover, WHO statistics show that depression has risen by 18% globally between 2005 and 2015, and is predicted to be the leading cause of disease burden by 2030, according to Dr Xuereb.

“Our crisis teams see about 10-15 cases of depressed people a week,” he said. “Out of these, 60% have thoughts of selfharm, so a national crisis line run by trained professionals and setting up crisis phone booths at suicide hotspots around Malta and Gozo is a must”.

The crisis teams are advocating the setting up of a dedicated, 24/7 national suicide crisis line which is run by professionals at a crisis centre, as well as the establishment of a national strategy to address self-harm, keeping in line with the WHO recommendations.

Emphasising on the importance of speaking about depression, the crisis psychiatrist said, “it’s OK to talk although it may not be easy to break the ice. Sharing a problem and reaching out to professionals is the first step to overcome the crisis and get better.”

When it comes to bettering the situation on depression on a day-to-day basis, Dr Xuereb encourages people not to frown upon but rather to offer “a friendly smile and empathic chat” to people dealing with depression, in order to help them seek help.