In March, a conference was held with the title ‘Perinatal Well-being for Mothers and Fathers’ as part of the Positive Parenting Strategy. During this event, the pilot project carried out in collaboration between the Ministry for Social Policy and Children’s Rights and the Ministry for Health and Active Ageing was presented.
The conference shared findings from studies conducted, which revealed that 1 in every 5 mothers faces mental health challenges during the perinatal period, while between 5% and 15% of fathers experience anxiety or depression.
It was explained that the pilot projects involving mothers both before and after childbirth showed that psychotherapy support from family therapists, as well as interventions from specialised midwives, made a significant difference to mothers’ mental health. In the case of fathers who required therapeutic assistance, family therapy proved to have a positive therapeutic outcome. Interviews with fathers revealed that, despite initial resistance to therapy, the experience benefitted them personally, as well as their relationship with their partner and their overall family dynamics.
In a message delivered by Minister Michael Falzon, he stated, “Years ago, this Government believed in this journey, and so we provided all the necessary academic and financial resources. Not only have we kept up the momentum over the years, but we’ve continued to invest and offer more services to new parents—services that are easy to access, benefit from, and participate in, even from the comfort of home after the baby is born.”
Minister Jo Etienne Abela emphasised that prevention is the key to a better quality of life. Through timely interventions, mental health challenges can be addressed efficiently and sustainably, bringing substantial benefits to parents and families. He thanked the professionals for their dedicated work.
“The next step is to continue working with professionals to discuss the recommendations that emerged from the various studies and move towards implementation—safeguarding the mental health of families going through this important life stage. These collaborations between different entities are crucial as they help us continue improving the services and mental health outcomes of Maltese and Gozitan families,” Minister Abela concluded.
In her speech, Ruth Sciberras stated that Positive Parenting Malta is proud to have been part of this Perinatal Pilot Project, which clearly demonstrated how early, evidence-based support can make a tangible difference in the lives of families. She said “Real change happens when different sectors work together. Research confirms that when health, social, and community services collaborate, families experience better outcomes.”
