A new mental health service for young Gozitans has led to a sharp drop in hospital admissions, the Malta Trust Foundation has said.

The community-based mental health project for young Gozitans, led by the Foundation, has been so successful in its first year that a quarter of service users have found a job or are in training, it said.

The Foundation in a statement, explained that since The Sunrise Project started operating in February 2019, 25 young Gozitans have sought help, and of these just four per cent had to be readmitted to hospital, marking a drastic drop of 96 per cent in readmissions.

In Gozo, the Foundation said that there are just two mental health professionals working in the healthcare system at the island’s state hospital, which makes it difficult to handle the increasing demand in the community, which is why this project was born.

The Sunrise Project is a collaboration with psychiatrists, the Mental Health Association Gozo and the Richmond Foundation.

Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca chair of the Malta Trust Foundation chair said, “this project, which is tailored to help young Gozitans suffering from mental health difficulties and empower them to lead an independent quality of life, was immediately oversubscribed – a clear signal that more needs to be done.”

The Foundation explained that according to research, 7,800 individuals out of a Gozitan population of 33,000 individuals, will at some point in their lives, experience mental health difficulties, and the service, which runs with just one professional, was inundated.

With World Mental Health Day being marked tomorrow, the 10th of October, the Malta Trust Foundation is seeking to engage a second professional following a surge in demand exacerbated by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Foundation – which brings together businessmen, academics and professionals to create collaborations that make a tangible impact to youngsters facing difficult situations – is also seeking to attract private investment to pump €130,000 into group sessions and other occupational therapy sessions, among others, it said.

“The stigma of mental health in Gozo is even more challenging than in Malta, which is why we’re so grateful for the 11 Gozitan-based businesses investing in this cause, said Ms Coleiro Preca.

She stressed that “young people find it harder to seek help in hospital because of the associated stigma, so this community service helps them manage their lives in their own environment.”

The service provides practical and emotional support; rehabilitative care at home; liaison with primary and asocial education among others.

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