Surge in calls for youth mental help as experts warn it's just the beginning

Richmond Malta has experienced an alarming 1,045 per cent surge in requests by youths for help in mental health issues since the start of the pandemic two years ago and experts have warned of long-term consequences.
As the world comes to terms with ‘living with COVID-19’ and restrictive measures are finally relaxed, the cost of the pandemic is stark.
Richmond, a mental health foundation, alone saw an almost 800 per cent increase in requests by the general population through its phone number 1770 and OLLI chat.
In the first quarter of 2020, Richmond received 269 calls. This increased to 1,538 calls and 774 requests through its chat service in the first quarter of this year.
But, sometimes, people needed more than a call or a chat and Richmond saw a 900 per cent increase in requests for face-to-face follow-ups with professionals during this same period.
The total number of attempts and deaths by suicide also increased during the pandemic. According to official police statistics, there were 127 reported attempts and 22 deaths (149 cases) in 2020 and 102 attempts and 34 deaths (136 cases) in 2021, compared to a total of 96 in 2017, 103 in 2018 and 115 in 2019.

Psychiatrist Anton...