Working in psychiatry in Malta: a personal view

Abstract

The history of psychiatry in Malta dates back to the 16th century. In the early 1990s, a detailed account of psychiatry in Malta documented the drive from institutional psychiatry to community psychiatry and outlined the difficulties with subspecialisation, staffing and training. Malta has since set up five community mental health teams, introduced new mental health legislation and introduced full postgraduate psychiatry specialisation. Work is continuing towards improvement of the country's mental health services and towards reducing the stigma associated with mental illness.