A support system for friends and families of those who die tragically is in the pipeline, according to Community Care Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea.

The system will form part of the crisis intervention team set up within the Emergency Department to care for mental health patients, including those who attempt suicide. The plan is for the team to offer psychological support to relatives of those who die in tragic circumstances, like a fireworks factory explosion.

Speaking while viewing an exhibition at Mater Dei Hospital organised by volunteers and patients of the Psychiatric Unit, Mr Galea said the government had invested in bringing together expert multidisciplinary teams in some 40 localities over the past two years to care for mental health patients.

Although one in four persons was known to suffer from a mental health problem, only 26 per cent of these sought help for fear of being stigmatised, he noted.

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