Joan’s* 40-year-old son suffers from depression and has spent the last 10 years “wasting away” at home because he is stuck in an unemployment rut.

His mental health problem, which emerged three years into his university course, has forced him to leave several jobs over the years.

Six years ago he was granted an invalidity pension and, three years later, his doctor found that he was fit to work reduced hours, his mother explained.

However, if he registers for employment his pension will be stopped.

“My concern is that his pension is his only form of guaranteed income. I’m not asking for the pension to be given to him forever. Just that, before taking it away, it is ensured that he has some form of stable income.

“His condition may lead to him having to stop working. That would mean he would be penniless and have to re-apply for the pension, which takes time to be granted,” she said as she shared her thoughts with other concerned parents of people with mental health problems.

The parents meet once a month during a family support group meeting organised by the Richmond Foundation, a non-government organisation that provides community mental health services.

One of their main concerns is the gap in employment support for people like their children.

Although the Richmond Foundation offers supported housing and helps clients live independently, there is no system that helps people with mental health problems find jobs and keep them.

“We are aware that our children cannot work full-time in commercial companies.

We need the government’s support,” said the father of a 30-year-old man.

“I see it from my own son. He needs support and someone to push him to maintain a job. But this service no longer exists.”

He referred to a joint employment support programme between Richmond and the Employment and Training Corporation. The government-funded programme was stopped when the ETC applied for EU funds to run a similar programme.

The new programme encourages employers to recruit people from vulnerable groups without, however, offering support to the employees.

The parents present at the meeting were particularly concerned about the future of their children once they are no longer around to look after them.

“They will probably end up at Mount Carmel Hospital since that is the only alternative,” one parent said as another interrupted: “That wouldn’t be so bad. My fear is that our children remain living at home with no one to look after them, rotting away and walking around the village looking dirty and alone.”

He said he believed the best solution would be the setting up of more hostels that allowed people with mental health problems to live independently but have supervision and support.

Currently there are two hostels, run by the foundation and Dar Suret Il-Bniedem with the collaboration of Mount Carmel.

The parents also want more attention to be given to their children’s educational needs. “They are not stupid. They need support and patience,” one mother said.

“Something must be done to put our minds at rest before we leave this world,” she added.

*Not her real name.