Problem addressed

Those who need support to deal with mental health issues often do not know where to turn to find it. Information on mental health services can be limited. Where it is present, the stigma associated with mental health problems may make people in need reluctant to reach out for help, fearing discrimination and a lack of anonymity. Young people in particular can experience mental health problems and have difficulties in finding the right kind of support.

Innovative solution

Kellimni.com is an online platform that provides psychological and emotional support for people in Malta, using a variety of online services. The platform is innovative in Malta as it is the first service in the country that incorporates telephone and online mental health support for anyone who needs it. People can contact trained professional therapists at any time, as the initiative is operational 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. Through the Kellimni.com website, individuals can contact therapists and volunteers, via real time messaging and online chat services, or via email. Kellimni.com has also developed a mobile app to make the communication process easier. The service is free, confidential and anonymous, but if someone accessing the website is deemed to pose a potential threat to themselves or others (e.g. if they could potentially be violent to others or may harm themselves), Kellimni.com will inform the hospital or the police. Other psychological support services exist in Malta to provide face-to-face therapy sessions where needed.

In addition to its general mental health services, the platform offers specific support to victims of gender-based violence. This is done through the ‘Violet’ software, developed by SOS Malta with financial support from the European Commission’s Directorate General for Justice and Consumers. The website also contains a large volume of information and educational material about specific issues, such as self-harm, anxiety, stress, love, sex and relationships, suicide, loneliness, LGBTQI issues, and empowerment.

The platform was set up in 2011 by the NGO Solidarity Overseas Service Malta (SOS Malta). Child Helpline International, an organisation gathering 178 members from 146 countries, was instrumental in guiding SOS Malta in the initial phases of the development of these services. The main target audience of Kellimni.com was young people to start with, but the project is now available to people of all ages who need support. SOS Malta fully manages the implementation of the project, guaranteeing that services are harmonised and not duplicated.

Funding from the Maltese Government to Kellimni.com, which is classified as a public social partnership, covers the project’s daily operations, technical support, and the provision of information and educational material on the website.

Key results and benefits

In 2019, the project reached 8 843 people, 57.7% of whom were women, 19.7% men, and 22.6% of unknown gender. The majority of those seeking support are aged between 25 and 34, followed by those between 18 and 24 and those who are over 65. Mental health is one of the issues that is most discussed by beneficiaries (66%). This includes discussions about ‘feelings of sadness’, ‘fear and anxiety’, ‘depression’ and ‘loneliness’, followed by ‘peer and family relations’ (28%), and ‘sexuality’ (6%).

The CEO of SOS Malta, Claudia Taylor-East, explains that ‘Kellimni.com is not a money-making machine, it is really geared to give support to the most vulnerable in our society and to build on a stronger, more cohesive, and happier society’. The increasing level of financial support provided by the Maltese government recognises Kellimni.com as the gatekeeper for the services that are needed by the most vulnerable groups in Malta.

Potential for mainstreaming

Kellimni.com is cost-effective and transferable. Its online nature means that costs can be kept low (as there is no need for physical offices) and that the system can be adapted, developed and shared with other stakeholders. The Violet software could be shared to online platforms operating in other countries. Key conditions for a successful transfer to another context would be public financial support, a commitment of all partners to the provision of online support services, and the availability of volunteers and therapists to be involved in the initiative.

The project is working on the further development of its online services to better support specific audiences, such as LGBTQI individuals. Kellimni.com is also trying to diversify its services by developing an online video-counselling service, as well as online group sessions, both of which could enable it to reach a wider audience.

Kellimni.com was awarded in the category ‘Best Use of ICT by Voluntary Organisations’ by the Malta Communications Authority during the eBusiness Awards event in 2014.