The Health Bureau (SSM) announced in a statement yesterday that it organised a raft of mental and physical health education activities between June and August which attracted 17,100 participants, or 2.5 percent of the population.
The statement noted that today is “World Suicide Prevention Day”, which was established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO). The theme for 2024–2026, “Changing the Narrative on Suicide,” aims to transform societal understanding of suicide through open dialogue, break down stigma, and raise awareness about mental health.
According to the statement, in order to expand Macau’s mental health service network, the bureau has set up psychological counselling and psychotherapy outpatient services at nine public health centres and continues to fund two non-profit organisations to provide psychological support.
In order to improve accessibility, the statement said, residents in need can book psychological therapy appointments at health centres through the “My Health” section on the “Macau One Account” platform. For urgent support, the Psychiatric Department of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre has established an emergency referral mechanism together with health centres and social service organisations to facilitate case follow-ups. Additionally, psychiatric specialists provide 24-hour services at the public hospital’s Emergency Department to tackle critical situations.
The statement also underlined that the bureau provided community-based psychiatric outreach services through its mobile mental health teams to support patients within the community, such as seminars, education activities and information posts between June and August, which attracted 17,100 participants.
Meanwhile, according to the “2025 Survey on the Mental Health of Secondary Students in Macao”, released jointly by the General Association of Chinese Students of Macau and the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) on July 26, worrying trends have emerged regarding youth well-being.
The survey’s findings indicate that over 30 percent of students sleep fewer than six hours per night, with nearly 30 percent expressing dissatisfaction with their sleep quality, largely due to academic pressure as the dominant stress factor. Furthermore, only 54 percent of respondents showed no signs of anxiety, underscoring a growing mental health challenge.
Macau recorded 18 suicides – 13 males and 5 females – in the first quarter of this year, according to a statement by the Health Bureau (SSM) on May 16. The statement pointed out that the primary factors associated with these cases were gambling or financial difficulties, psychiatric disorders, and chronic or acute illnesses.
Image downloaded from the Macau Health Bureau (SSM) website last night.
