Mental health care on small islands: Gozo | Graziella Vella

Graziella Vella, Research Support Officer II

Mental health challenges arise when individuals find it difficult to cope with issues and challenges in their daily lives. Such circumstances generally lead to a disruption of’ lives and leave a detrimental effect on their quality of life and wellbeing.

In Europe, research shows the most commonly reported mental health issues are ‘anxiety’ and ‘depression’, respectively, with these examples of mental illnesses also being the most commonly reported in the Maltese islands. Locally, research shows that the onset of mental health issues occurs around the age of 14. Depression is generally found to be more common among the most vulnerable groups such as people with lower-than-average levels of education, bereaving persons, and those who were divorced or separated, to the extent that these social groupings report mental health issues as much as three times more than other peers.

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Nonetheless, a number of people experiencing depression tend not to report their symptoms and seek help, because of the fear of stigma associated with mental health issues.

Locally, this sense of stigma accentuates itself in view of the smallness of the Maltese islands. In Gozo, this sense of fear of seeking help for mental health conditions is even further entrenched because of this island’s double insularity: when an island is part of a number in which a main, larger, island exists. Lack of privacy and discrimination due to the smallness of the island and close-knit communities create further obstacles in the quest to seek support and assistance for mental health conditions. Lack of specialised services is also an issue when these are usually offered only in the main larger islands. People seek more help when support is available within a community context, where people respond better to treatment than those inside a hospital environment. Nonetheless, mental health treatment in the community needs to be carefully designed to ensure a support system within a small close-knit community.

A study by the Faculty for Social Wellbeing explored the needs of people with mental health issues to understand what community services are available and required to complement the current provision. Results demonstrate that people with mental health issues need an adequate environment where to receive treatment. Community care allows for a wider reach of people, and this setting creates further accessibility and helps eliminate barriers associated with seeking support for mental health problems.

This is a crucial step in reducing the stigma associated with mental health issues. Indeed, mental health issues have become more accentuated in view of different pressures from today’s society. There is therefore a great need for greater awareness and information with regards to normalising seeking help for such issues, before it is too late.