Someone commits suicide almost every nine minutes in the EU, where about 58,000 people take their lives every year.
Speaking at the inauguration of the refurbished Dual Diagnosis Unit at Mount Carmel Hospital, Community Care Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea said the number of people with mental health problems in the EU had risen to an alarming 50 million, of whom three of every four were men.
“Unfortunately, only 28 per cent of them seek advice because the rest are scared to be labelled by society,” he said.
“It is easy for us or our relatives to end up in one of the beds in this hospital and it is up to us not to judge others.
Members of my family suffer from mental illness and I have visited a psychiatrist several times and I do not mind saying so.”
Most of the more seriously ill patients are treated in the unit when they suffer from both mental health problems and substance abuse.
In an effort to offer patients more effective treatment, the unit, which was first set up five years ago, was reorganised to house eight beds, two more than the previous six, among other facilities.
The project cost some €140,000 and took about a year to complete, during which time patients were treated in another part of the hospital.
Dr Galea said about 140 male patients – cases of women did not present often and were treated in one of the female wards – have been treated since the unit was set up.
He explained that patients followed a strict timetable, doing chores and taking part in group meetings, other than spending time in therapy. Bjorn Bartolo, a nurse who works there, said most of his patients suffered from schizophrenia or depression and were addicted to drugs or alcohol. And because they were vulnerable, he continued, security in the unit was very tight.
“Security cameras cover every corner of the building and both patients and staff are frequently tested for any substances,” Mr Bartolo said.
Each patient was treated for between six and eight weeks. However, once they left the unit they had to regularly visit the Psychiatric Outpatients at Mater Dei Hospital to follow up on their treatment, in order to avoid relapsing, Mr Bartolo said.
Last year, more than 2,000 patients were admitted to Mount Carmel Hospital while more than 1,000 outpatient cases visited Mater Dei.
kbugeja@timesofmalta.com