Mental Health Campaign

Did you know that 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year?

In every country there is a hidden or unhidden stigma towards mental health. People are reluctant to admit that they have mental health problems. This is why the Malta Medical Students’ Association (MMSA) in collaboration with BetaPsi are organising a Mental Health Awareness Campaign, whose aims are to raise awareness about mental health problems, such as depression, schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and to eliminate the associated discrimination and stigma that may prevent people in crisis from seeking help.

Working in association with Mount Carmel Hospital, Richmond Foundation, Crisis Resolution and Mental Health Association, the campaign draws attention to suicide and promotes the integration of persons with mental health difficulties in the community. Furthermore, the book ‘Il-Kwiekeb fid-Dlam, Jixegħlu – vjaġġi ta’ tama mterrqa minn qraba ta’ persuni b’mard mentali’ will be given against a donation to emphasise the importance of family carers. Il-Kwiekeb fid-Dlam Jixegħlu is a source of hope to those relatives who feel stressed with the responsibility of taking care of a person with mental health problems. Family caregivers share their personal experiences to combat the fear associated with ill mental health and to support other caregivers like themselves.

Mental Health Awareness campaign will be held on the 10th and 12th October, where outreaching at University Quadrangle from 10:00 till 12:00 is followed by seminars from 12.00 till 14:00, where various topics related to mental health will be discussed. Numerous guest speakers will attend on a voluntary basis to help us in this campaign, along with Mount Carmel Hospital’s mascot, Zafferina. University students are highly encouraged to attend. During outreaching, the Befriending Program of Mount Carmel Hospital will be promoted to encourage students to volunteer in the program, by giving 1 to 2 hours of time per week with a befriendee to develop a one-to-one social relationship and to enjoy a range of experiences and activities together.

This campaign falls under the Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace (SCORP), which aims to increase medical students’ awareness about human rights, as well as patients' rights, so as to better equip them to deal with sensitive situations and also to encourage the public to change discriminatory attitudes towards people from different cultural backgrounds, race, religions, and people with certain addictions or diseases.

For more information, visit our Facebook page on: www.facebook.com/mmsa.scorp?ref=ts.

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