Call for new, long-awaited Mental Health Act

It was high time for the new Mental Health Act to be sanctioned through Parliament and implemented without further delay, the chief executive of the Richmond Foundation stressed.

One of the benefits behind this legislation is the fact that it puts the individual at the centre of its focus, Dolores Gauci told The Sunday Times.

So far, care has been mainly focused on institutional, rather than community care, and the new legislation will acknowledge that mental healthcare can successfully be carried out within the community. The new Act is currently being reviewed by the Attorney General's office.

There are times when residential care remains the best option for the patient, but Ms Gauci emphasised that a person should not spend more time than necessary in a hospital environment.

"For this to happen we need support services within the community to take over once the person is discharged. Community mental health services need to be comprehensive, helping the person with a mental health problem and family members in a holistic way."

It is, after all, well documented that extra hospitalisation could do more harm than good, leading to a loss of skills and adding to the difficulties posed by the illness itself.

She said that in the coming months the foundation will be lobbying to prioritise the community structures.

Services within the community have to be available so that people can access them the moment they feel the need for support. Ms Gauci said a lot of mental health problems could be overcome when tackled from a very early stage. If the right services were in place, employment days lost and even hospitalisation could be reduced drastically.

Despite the huge advances made over the past years, stigma remained one of the biggest obstacles of mental health.

"There are still prejudices and fears, but society is realising that mental illness is an illness like any others, and it concerns all of us."

However, there was still not enough emphasis on success stories, she said, referring to the number of people with mental health problems who held jobs and led regular lives.

Today's lifestyle was mounting stress on children, and this was why they had to be taught the skills to tackle problems from a young age. Resilience, Ms Gauci said, was the key.

"Life holds difficult experiences, disappointments and losses and it is therefore essential that children develop the skills to help them deal with these challenges to bounce back from these difficult experiences. They need to learn that life will not always be easy and that sometimes they will need to make difficult choices. They need to learn that they will be able to cope and continue living healthily and successfully."

Children needed to learn from a young age that they had to earn what they wanted, rather than be given everything they wished for.

"Many times, children are protected and pampered. But when they start facing the world on their own, not everyone is caring towards them. So they need to have the necessary skills to cope with unpleasant situations and that they will not be able to meet all their expectations."

According to the World Health Organisation, depression is expected to be the second most common disability in the developed world by 2020.

"Each person needs to take care of their mental health by looking after themselves, regularly give themselves time to recharge and prioritise what is important... This continuous rushing around to have the most luxurious car, the latest designer clothes, changing our mobile every few weeks... We are giving in to the demands of the commercial world instead of seeking what is really important in our lives."