As I rushed into work this morning (an hour earlier than usual) leaving behind my grumpy children who had to wake up earlier as well to get them ready for school, I arrived to see my colleague’s cars from the psychology department parked meaning they have already started giving sessions, probably to clients who also work and need to be at their own place of work on time. I walked in to be greeted by our diligent clerk already busy at work preparing for the clinic ahead. I recall how yesterday I arrived at work to the sight of our cleaners frantically wiping water out of the corridor because of a burst pipe while the maintenance crew rushed to fix the situation. I remember the farewell dinner we had last week for one of our social work colleagues, and that one of our nurses has also recently transferred to another department leaving a temporary vacancy, her work at present being covered by the remaining staff.
And as I wade through the tasks of the day, I reflect on the topic of this year’s World Mental Health Day 2024: ‘It is time to prioritize mental health in the workplace’. I cannot help but think about all the workers who work within mental health services, about each and every person who contributes to the delivery of care in these understaffed and under budgeted conditions while themselves navigating through their own personal trials and tribulations. Empathy and support are at the core of our service delivery, yet this sometimes takes the toll on the best of us. We are told we should be resilient and we need to push through. Vicarious trauma, or secondary trauma is well documented. This is when health care workers themselves become affected by exposure to their clients’ traumas and many of us will resist seeking appropriate help ourselves when we need it. Top this with the personal problems which no one is immune to and burnout commonly ensues. To complicate matters we are living in an era where Maltese Mental Health Services are going through many changes.
One might argue that change is continuously occurring but there are times where it seemingly occurs with a higher velocity and this is what it feels like at present. The strengthening of community mental health services, eventual closure of Mount Carmel Hospital, the integration of acute mental health services within general health services all unavoidably bring mixed emotions to many of us. Anxiety about the changing physical environment, new treatments and services and new people we work with can ensue. Inevitably some nostalgia about ‘the way things used to be’ will occur. However these emotions are intertwined with hope and enthusiasm for the future and drive us to collaborate with clients, their carers, colleagues from all professional backgrounds and policy makers to put mental health on the map and continue to improve our standards.
And through all this how are mental health care workers being affected by these changes? How can we prioritize their mental health in the workplace? At our most recent Conference, organized by the Maltese Association of Psychiatry, entitled ‘United Minds, Enhancing Collaborative Care in Psychiatry’ we asked our attendees, most of them mental healthcare workers, this same question. The most common responses given were: Collaboration, Empathy, Support and the Right to Disconnect.
It is time to start practicing what we preach. If we do not prioritize our own mental health and that of our colleagues, we will not be able to deliver the good standards of care that we strive for. As Mr Mario Galea, Expert by Experience and former Member of Parliament who was one of our speakers at the Conference reminded us: “Mental Healthcare Workers are imperfect human beings trying to help imperfect human beings”.
On the other side of the equation, policy makers and employers need to nurture their most valuable resource: their workers by providing adequate work conditions and allowing space for communication and constructive bilateral feedback. I am sure that all this sounds familiar in other work settings as well and not just within healthcare. Ultimately, It is through collaboration at all levels that we can navigate through these times and embrace the changes that are inevitable. It is through collaboration that we can prioritize mental health in the workplace.
Dr Chantelle Azzopardi, MAP Vice President
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