Rehabilitation of the psychiatric patient in Malta

Abstract

In recent years, throughout most developed countries there has been a trend to move from hospital care of the mentally ill to treatment in the community resulting in the closure of many big state psychiatric hospitals. This change in approach and mentality raised various issues which have to be addressed and carefully evaluated such as the issue of which target population is in need of rehabilitation. In the wake of these developments, the wave of change did reach the Maltese Islands and a National Commission was set up in order to formulate a National Policy for Mental Health Reform. The policy document was launched on 2nd April 1995 and has as one of its declared objectives: "to provide rehabilitative and community services to deinstitutionalise and reintegrate into the community suitable patients within Mount Carmel Hospital and Gozo Psychiatric Hospital".