Lawmaker Lam concerned about youth mental health

Lawmaker Lam Lon Wai has expressed concern about the mental health of people in Macau, particularly among Macau youth, during a speech at the Legislative Assembly prior to the agenda.

While acknowledging the government’s efforts in this area, Lam emphasized that much work remains as requests for help continue to rise.

“According to data from the World Health Organization, in recent years, about 3.8% of the world’s population suffers from depression, and about a billion people suffer from mental disorders,” Lam said.

“A recent survey on mental health, carried out by a local association, identified a trend of increasing mental health issues among young people. Local youth are encountering increasing psychological pressure stemming, in part, from social and family challenges arising from socioeconomic changes.”

Lam highlighted a societal need for greater attention to mental health challenges among young people and further efforts to develop more effective and comprehensive prevention strategies.

To address these issues, Lam recommended the government establish additional psychological support services for young people. Lam suggested implementing a combination of online and offline services to provide “online counseling work, emotional management, mental health workshops, and voluntary services, among others, to create a psychological support community.”

Lam also called for strengthening the “guardianship role of schools,” calling on the institutions to provide education on psychological health, particularly in higher education institutions as well as primary and secondary schools. He also recommended the authorities strengthen their cooperation mechanisms with schools, social workers, and psychological consultants, to create a better system of counseling and support for students.

Lastly, he highlighted the importance of fostering community solidarity, noting that many individuals suffering emotionally do not ask professionals for help, stressing the need to foster a positive social environment.”

He called for short training courses in mental health first aid to raise the level of public knowledge and awareness on mental health, while establishing a mental health support system in the community and cultivating more “seeds of protection.”