Health survey begins, but officials stop short of prioritizing mental health screening

[Photo; Yuki Lei]

The Health Bureau (SSM) officially kicked off its 2026 decennial health survey yesterday, introducing mentalhealth questions for the first time.

While officials said the bureau “attaches great importance” to residents’ physical and mental wellbeing, they made clear that mental health screening will not be a primary focus of the survey.

SSM director, Alvis Lo, announced the official launch of a largescale decennial health survey yesterday, saying it will systematically collect data on chronic diseases and health risk factors from a stratified sample of 3,000 permanent Macau residents aged 18 and over, drawn from the bureau’s patient registration database.

As outlined, the survey will include questionnaire interviews alongside onsite physical examinations – including blood and urine tests and body measurements.

Telephone invitations and appointment bookings will take place from March 30 to April 12, and selected residents who make appointments will receive confirmation texts.

Onsite tests will encompass complete blood count, blood lipids, blood glucose, urinalysis, urinary iodine, height, weight, blood pressure, waist circumference, and grip strength, scheduled on weekends from April 18 to June 14, with three sessions daily and six appointment slots per session.

Authorities said all personal data collected in the survey will be handled in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Law and used only for aggregate statistical analysis to support the “Healthy Macau Blueprint” and the “Happy Macau” initiative.

Officials added that the survey aims to help residents understand their basic health status and improve selfmanagement by collecting data on major chronic and infectious diseases and related risk factors. Combined with the Sports Bureau’s (ID) physicalfitness survey, the results will feed an indicator system to assess the physical and mental health of Macau’s adult population.

At a recent public event, the bureau chief said Macau has about 10,000 subsidized psychologicaltherapy slots and adequate mentalhealth resources but warned that services are fragmented and difficult for residents to locate.

Conde S. Januário Hospital has more than 10 psychiatrists, and over 160 healthcenter doctors have received mentalhealth training, enabling assessments and support during routine visits.

Lo acknowledged persistent reluctance among the public to seek help – often driven by fear of stigma or perceived weakness – and urged a shift in social attitudes to encourage people to come forward.

Lo highlighted the bureau’s “My Health” platform on the Macao One Account, which offers an anonymous online assessment and recommends followup for high scorers. About 1,000 people used the platform in the past month, and a significant number subsequently accessed appropriate support, according to him.

Authorities said the health survey now includes questions on mental health – asking how often respondents feel stressed, anxious, or depressed, as well as about sleep patterns and sleep quality – and will assess whether residents need mentalhealth care or counseling and whether they are aware of and can access existing services.

Meanwhile, according to the latest data from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), outpatient visits to psychiatric clinics totaled 50,597 in 2024 – roughly 2,000 more than in 2023 – but authorities did not directly answer the Times’ question on why they are not proactively conducting additional mentalhealth screenings to identify highrisk residents.