On a sunny day at the Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School a few days before the official start of the new scholastic year, mental health issues seem a faraway concern.
Yet, a group of psychology students at the Naxxar school are keen to stress that one in four people will experience such problems at some point in their lives, with symptoms often first emerging between the ages of 16 and 20.
The Organisation of Psychology Students (OOPS) has embarked on an ambitious project they hope will lead to the pioneering of a walk-in psychological clinic on the campus.
While most schools already offer guidance and counselling services, the new project goes further, offering free and readily-accessible psychological support and treatment and circumventing the costs and waiting lists students may encounter when trying to access similar services elsewhere.
Similar school clinics have been set up in other countries, but the project, which has been shortlisted for this year’s Social Impact Awards organised by the Gasan and Inspirasia foundations, would be a first for Malta.
Matthew Cilia, one of the students involved, told the Times of Malta the clinic goal would build on work the organisation had already done to spread mental health awareness and challenge stigma, including seminars on issues like schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder.
The students have also prepared an awareness campaign for the new scholastic year, highlighting tips for maintaining good mental health, warning signs to help with early detection and avenues for support.
Leann Gauci Abela, a psychology teacher who has been supporting the organisation, added that when it comes to fruition, the clinic would not only support students with their issues but also help them with approaches to family members with their own mental health problems.
Many students, she said, sought out psychology (which has been offered as an Intermediate subject since 2012) specifically to understand more about issues they or those around them were experiencing.
Meetings have been held with the Mental Health Commissioner, Aġenzija Żgħażagħ and the ministers concerned, all of whom have expressed their support.
The project has the backing of school head Gaetano Calleja.
In-house research, he said, had shown that many of the dropouts the school encountered were due to personal issues students faced, emphasising the need for support beyond the classroom.
“If we don’t address students’ needs in a holistic manner at this sensitive age, their education will suffer,” he said.