Ten per cent of the Maltese population, about 41,000 people, were on anti-depressants over the past year, according to a Eurobarometer report still to be published.
The figure was quoted by Community Care Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea, who told a mental health conference the EU average was seven per cent.
“Since 2006, there has been a five per cent rise in the number of Maltese turning to professionals, reaching 14 per cent of the total population, which is the same as the EU average,” Mr Galea said.
He also pointed out the Eurobarometer survey also indicated that about 64 per cent of Maltese felt happy and positive, compared to the EU average of 61 per cent.
Anxiety and depression were on the increase – mainly because of social factors such as stress and financial problems – and the World Health Organisation predicted that, globally, their incidence would even surpass cancer and diabetes by 2025.
“Financial problems and unemployment are among the main factors that cause depression, anxiety and psychosomatic disease,” Mr Galea noted.
Mental health remained an important priority for the government and more focus was being placed on community services: about 130 professionals would soon be offering treatment in 30 towns and villages. A crisis intervention team, which would deal with emergency situations in mental health, would start functioning in a few weeks’ time.
He called for more focus in setting up psychological services in schools and at the workplace where there were significant mental health related problems.
Turning to the long-promised Mental Health Act, Mr Galea said he recently spoke to the new Attorney General who promised to pass the draft through to Cabinet and Parliament by end of the year.
“If the draft law does not make it to Parliament by this year, then it will be at the very beginning of 2011 at the latest,” he said. The AG, Peter Grech, was “working on it at the moment”.
The draft law has been at the Attorney General’s office for two years after the government promised to have it enacted in 2009. The long delay has been heavily criticised by mental health organisation Richmond Foundation, which held yesterday’s conference.