Interview by Rui Pastorin
Suicide and mental health remain growing concerns in Macau. By the fourth quarter of last year, the city had recorded 25 suicides, the youngest of which was only 13 years-old, according to official data.
The total number of suicides last year, according to multiple media outlets, stood at 90, while public broadcaster TDM further noted in a recent report that there were 249 suicide attempts, most of them by youngsters, in 2024.
Last year, Caritas Macau’s Life Hope Hotline, which is mainly geared towards suicide prevention, recorded a high number of calls, with the local Catholic charitable organisation’s Secretary-General Paul Pun Chi Meng telling the Post in an interview at its head office on Tuesday that there was a total of 15,158 incoming calls, a year-on-year increase of 45.7 percent, 652 of which were suicide-related.
Compared to the 10,403 calls in 2023, when 541 were suicide-related, Pun said last year’s number marked a “big increase”. In fact, he said, 2024 was when they had received the highest number of calls in many years.
The callers, according to Pun, were mainly locals of all ages, but the two groups that the hotline received the most suicide-related calls from were those aged over 10 and over 20 years. The increase is not something that can be easily explained, but in terms of the calls, compared to previous years where factors were related to the COVID-19 pandemic, this time, from the hotline operators’ understanding, Pun noted that the core reasons were mainly related to three aspects: mental, emotional and family issues. “Now, it’s not a pandemic issue. We need to observe different factors in society instead of only looking at the number of calls”.
The 3 factors
Elaborating on the reasons for calling, Pun said that mental-related issues may be related to mental illness, depression, and anxiety, all of which could make it easier to develop suicidal thoughts.
Emotional factors, meanwhile, can be internal as well as external, wherein interactions with others in certain situations such as constant blaming and scolding at work or school could also negatively impact and upset a person, Pun said.
Meanwhile, family issues could stem from reasons such as not feeling loved or cared for by parents. Constant arguments among family members are also a contributing factor. Pun pointed out: “They think negatively, blame themselves for being born in this family. So, self-esteem is very low”.
Don’t be afraid to reach out
Not many people might be willing to reach out to others when they have suicidal thoughts, while some might not want to speak to someone they know face to face. And this is an area that the hotline, which has been in service for nearly 40 years, may be able to help with, he indicated.
Pun pointed out that in society, people seek understanding and a chance to be listened to when we are happy and even in times of sorrow and suffering. “Some people need to talk and be accepted”, said Pun, adding that one might not feel hesitant to talk to somebody on the other end of a telephone who doesn’t know them, with this anonymity allowing them to share their secrets or weaknesses. Calling the hotline, he noted, offers a way for those who are depressed to have a channel to reveal their feelings and talk about the things that make them unhappy and trigger suicidal thoughts.
Suggestions
Pun also shared some of the opinions and suggestions of his colleagues during the interview, noting that they are hoping to continuously promote social awareness and find ways to help citizens live a healthy lifestyle, as well as understand why suicidal thoughts come up, and how to ask for help.
Enhancing medical and social services in order to identify high-risk groups and provide therapy with licensed professionals is also important, as well as paying attention to people around you and encouraging those who are depressed and facing problems to seek assistance, Pun said.
Another suggestion was to encourage enterprises, especially large companies, to provide psychological and mental support for staff, such as offering a platform to assist troubled colleagues.
“It doesn’t mean that they [the enterprises] have to hire 100 people, but at least have a [help] desk to deal with their staff members’ mental health issues. If I have a fever, everybody knows how to take my temperature. But if our mental health is not good, we cannot use a thermometer”.
Pun pointed out that mental health is a common issue that we need to learn how to cope with and that one should not be embarrassed to reach out or tell others about what they might be struggling with.
The hotline remains open for anyone seeking help, just as it has for nearly 40 years, with Pun emphasising that calling is “a way to handle psychological issues, as well as comfort, accept, and listen to others”.
Those wanting to seek help can call the Life Hope Hotline on 2852 5222 (Chinese) or Expat Life Hope (English) on 2852 5777.
Caritas Macau Secretary-General Paul Pun Chi Meng poses for a photo after Tuesday’s interview at the charitable organisation’s head office in Largo de Santo Agostinho (崗頂前地). – Photo: Rui Pastorin
A poster for Caritas Macau’s Life Hope Hotline is displayed at the Caritas Library, which is located on Rua de Pedro Coutinho (高地烏街).
