There is concern that a significant number of young people with mental health problems are not receiving the help they need.
The worry stems from statistics which show that in the UK, about one in 10 people up to the age of 18 will suffer from a mental health condition.
In Malta, however, only 1,700 young people, from a population of roughly 100,000, are receiving help from the public sector.
“We must be missing out on a significant proportion of others,” said child and adolescent psychiatrist Nigel Camilleri, who is the founder of the recently launched Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH) – Malta.
Dr Camilleri lists long waiting lists for assessment and the stigma associated with mental health conditions as being among the factors behind the low figure.
“Early intervention is extremely important, where we identify people at risk of mental disorder and treat them early,” said Dr Camilleri.
Early intervention is extremely important, where we identify people at risk of mental disorder and treat them early
Emotional and social development starts in infancy, with early bonds formed with the infant’s main caregiver, usually the mother. This interaction in the first year of life facilitates the development of good mental health throughout childhood, adolescence and eventually adulthood.
“As the child gets older it becomes increasingly difficult to bring about change,” said Dr Camilleri.
The main mental health conditions doctors deal with in children and young people include ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, depression, anxiety, attachment disorders, first onset psychosis, bipolar disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, separation anxiety, school phobias and emerging personality disorders.
The topic will be discussed this week at the Perinatal, Infant and Early Years Mental Health Conference organised by ACAMH Malta, which is the first international branch of an association that started in the UK in 1956.
This is the largest multidisciplinary association of mental health in the UK, taking a holistic approach towards educating and bettering the practice of doctors, psychologists, paediatricians, social workers and other professionals working with young people.
“As an association the main change we are striving to achieve is quality of service, to bring the quality of child mental health services up to what we have in physical health services,” said Dr Camilleri.
The conference will be held at the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa on March 28 and 29, and will include a programme of international professional speakers.