Are Relationships Malta’s Leading Mental Health Issue?
Richmond Foundation says data shows anxiety is no longer the leading mental health concern.
Relationship difficulties have overtaken anxiety as the most common reason people seek therapy through the Richmond Foundation, highlighting a shift in the nation’s mental health concerns.
According to data collected by the Foundation in 2024, 28% of those who accessed support cited relationship-related challenges — whether romantic, family, professional or social — as their primary concern.
Anxiety followed at 16%, with low self-esteem and self-worth ranking third at 9%. “Reports of relational issues have been steadily increasing over the past couple of years,” Lynn Sammut, Richmond’s Head of Well-being, told Lovin Malta.
“In 2022 and 2023, anxiety remained the most common concern. But last year, it was overtaken by challenges around connection, conflict and emotional safety in relationships.”
The data comes from Richmond Foundation’s Gift of Therapy initiative, which provides access to professional mental health support for those who cannot afford private services.
In 2024 alone, the Foundation delivered 816 therapy sessions and a whopping 667 hours of appointments with psychology officers.
That’s more than 1,480 hours of support for people who may otherwise have gone without help.
And running the service isn’t cheap. The support provided in 2024 amounts to more than €76,000 in services.
Through its Gift of Therapy initiative, the Foundation helps people with vulnerable backgrounds, including the unemployed, single parents, individuals living with chronic illness, and others navigating difficult life circumstances.
“Behind every session is a person navigating something deeply personal. What we’re seeing more and more is how strained relationships — especially in times of economic or emotional pressure — can trigger wider mental health struggles,” Sammut said.
While demand for support continues to grow, Richmond also reported a reduction in the number of people reaching out with suicidal thoughts.
In 2024, 195 individuals made contact with such thoughts and while this is slightly down from 214 in 2023, the service operated half the volume of hours last year.
All this shows that not only does the need remain urgent, but perhaps it is needed even more so today than before.
The Foundation fielded over 4,500 calls on its dedicated helpline in 2024 and saw an increase in face-to-face counselling sessions compared to 2022, with 1,438 appointments delivered last year.
Through its Healthy Minds Talk programme, it also assisted 1,221 working individuals via over 8,700 sessions—connecting people to professionals who could help them navigate challenges like burnout, grief, conflict and trauma.