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Betapsi's view on the current 'Mount Carmel' situation

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Following recent releases of petitions and articles regarding the state of Mount Carmel Hospital, we as Betapsi believe that it is our duty to comment on the following news. As a student psychology association, we fully condemn the neglectful and uninhabitable environment experienced by Mount Carmel patients.    It has been known for a while now that the state of Mount Carmel resembles a Victorian-era asylum more than a modern mental hospital. The problems of structural decay, staff shortage and staff disorganization have been brewing for decades. The Maltese government has been alerted time and time again about the desperate situation, but attempts to improve the hospital’s environment have turned out to be more talk than action.   As an association that cares for the well-being of others, we believe that Mount Carmel Hospital needs urgent and extensive refurbishment and modernization to create an environment in which the clients/residents can be well cared for, as we know that a plea
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The dangers of false information in relation to serious circumstances

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Due to current events related to the coronavirus pandemic, we could not help but notice an increase in false information being circulated around social media. Like any other piece of information we encounter; be it true or false, this has an effect on our mental well-being and it is in our best interest that we know which sources to trust, and when it is time for a social media cleanse to help with our anxiety.   Multiple sources and data have shown us that there is a correlation between social media usage and symptoms for anxiety and depression becoming more severe. Adolescents and young adults are specifically more susceptible to such negative effects due to the amount of time they spend on social media.  Moreover, there has been a significant increase in fake news about the COVID-19 pandemic; and such fake news is presented and consumed through social media. Popular coronavirus news source Gerald Fenech wrongly predicted the amount of cases to be announced on Wednesday 1
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Betapsi's statement on hate speech

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Social network has become an efficient platform whereby individuals have the possibility of sharing their views and perspectives on matters. Naturally, conflict of opinion is inevitable, especially when discussing controversial issues. Betapsi would like to address the problematic expression of such differences in opinion, as most recently seen in the issues pertaining to migration and transgenderism.  Betapsi condemns the use of hate speech in expressing disagreement with another’s stance. It is impossible to ignore the tendency embedded within our society to resort to personal attack, rather than the argument put forward. It is too often that individuals impulsively insult and demean one another instead of engaging in healthy discussion on said topic. It is also important to note that this is not a recent phenomenon but has been recurring over a long period of time, surfacing when controversial issues arise.   As a psychology student association, we would like to encourage the
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Our stand against racism following recent events

As psychology students, members of the Faculty for Social Wellbeing, and human beings, we feel strongly about certain events and incidents that have recently taken place and would like to share a few of our thoughts. Recently there have been a number of events that, apart from being morally wrong and heinous, have racist connotations associated with them. On May 25th, George Floyd, a black man, was restrained and allegedly killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis. Similarly, Ahmaud Arbery was shot by two white men whilst jogging on February 23rd in Georgia. Malta, unfortunately, is not lacking in bigotry and racism. A bit more than a year ago, Ivorian immigrant Lassana Cisse was killed during a hate-induced drive-by shooting here in Malta, and some extremely hateful and racist remarks have been made in response to the current immigration crisis. Given the nature of our studies as well as our concern for basic human rights, we feel that racism is something we not only need to be
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