Macau’s suspected suicide reports sharply increased from 42 between January and March 2025 to 69 by April.
According to an earlier disclosure by the Fire Services Bureau (CB) to the Times, 42 suspected suicide cases were reported during the first three months of this year; however, as of April 30, the bureau had handled a total of 69 suspected incidents.
Last year, 43 suspected suicide cases were recorded in the first quarter.
The CB recommends contacting the Health Bureau (SSM) for further inquiries regarding the incidents’ potential connection to suicide.
Historically, the SSM has released its suicide death monitoring results between late April and late May each year, starting in 2023.
The latest figures indicate that Macau recorded 25 suicide deaths in the fourth quarter of last year, with victims ranging from 13 to 75 years old; 20 of these cases involved local residents.
Authorities attributed the causes primarily to suspected mental health issues, relationship problems, and gambling or financial difficulties.
Recently, social media platforms have been flooded with reports of attempted suicides and “dead body found” cases.
As of the end of last month, the CB confirmed a total of 43 incidents where firefighters and paramedics arrived at the scene and noted clear signs of death.
In these cases, fire personnel notify the Judiciary Police (PJ), who then take over the investigation.
At least four deaths, one suicide attempt in one week
According to information released by the PJ to the media, on Monday evening, a young local woman “fell” from her residence on Caminho das Hortas, sustaining multiple fractures. She was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment but was pronounced dead.
Several motorcycles on nearby streets were also damaged in the incident.
Earlier on Sunday, a suicide attempt took place on Avenida de Horta e Costa, where a young local man stood precariously on the outer edge of a building’s rooftop for nearly two hours. He was successfully persuaded to come down, though his emotions were extremely distressed.
Following the incident, he was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Firefighters deployed two small and one large inflatable rescue cushion as a precautionary measure during the situation.
In a separate incident, the PJ confirmed that a man’s body was found floating on the surface of Nam Van Lake off Avenida de Sagres, showing obvious signs of death with no suspicious injuries.
This marks the second case of a dead body being discovered in coastal waters within a week, following the disappearance of a man who jumped off the Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge on May 8 and was reported missing after “falling” into the water.
Later that evening, the CB received another report of a suspected drowning in the waters off Rua de Fai Chi Kei. In this incident, firefighters rescued a middle-aged local resident and brought him to a safe location before transporting him to the emergency room at the hospital.
According to a statement from the PJ yesterday morning, a local middle-aged man was found dead in a residential building on Rua do Mercado de Iao Hon on Wednesday evening.
Emergency responders quickly transported him to the hospital, but despite their efforts to resuscitate him, he was pronounced dead.
Faced with these tragedies, related news and comments have been widely shared on social media in Macau recently.
Meta Platforms, which has been criticized as a catalyst for suicides, published its Community Standards Enforcement Report in 2019.
The report emphasizes that the company is continuously working to remove inappropriate content from its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, and restrict suicide-related images to help prevent youth suicide.
The Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) urges members of the public to pay attention to their own emotions, as well as those of their family members and friends.
If needed, individuals are encouraged to call Caritas Macau’s Expat Life Hope Hotline at (853) 2852 5222 (Chinese) or (853) 2852 5777 (English), or the IAS Telephone Counseling Hotline at (853) 2826 1126 for support and assistance.
Caritas hotline logs nearly 6,000 calls, 193 linked to suicide
Caritas Macau reported that from January to April this year, its Life Hope Hotline received a total of 5,941 calls. The main reasons for seeking assistance included mental health concerns, emotional issues, family problems, health matters, and interpersonal relationships.
Notably, there were 193 calls related to suicide, primarily driven by mental health struggles, emotional challenges, academic difficulties, family issues, and a lack of community resources. The majority of callers were in their teens and twenties.
Caritas highlighted a significant increase in the proportion of adolescents seeking help for suicide, stating that many of these young individuals struggle with mental illness, often experiencing suicidal thoughts stemming from depression and anxiety.
Furthermore, unstable medication regimens and heightened peer pressure contribute to a greater risk of repeated self-harm among this vulnerable population.
Amid numerous allegations regarding the service quality of its hotline operators, Caritas emphasizes its longstanding commitment to prioritizing service excellence by providing regular training and supervision for its professional staff through service supervisors, ensuring that callers receive the most appropriate support.
According to the response to the Times, each new volunteer trainee must undergo three months of training focused on listening and communication skills, empathy training, and crisis intervention methods.
All trainees must pass an assessment before entering a six-month internship period. To become a volunteer, they must also demonstrate a certain level of proficiency in handling calls. Additionally, volunteers are required to participate in ongoing training courses each year.
Caritas guarantees regular assessment and supervision of all staff and volunteers to ensure that their services meet the highest professåional standards and adapt to changing social needs.
Ella Ng, who oversees Caritas Macau’s Life Hope Hotline, stated: “We understand the high level of public concern for this service. We not only value feedback from callers but also adjust training content based on actual needs to ensure that volunteers can respond more effectively to the challenges faced by callers.”
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