Lawmaker wants to optimize existing mechanism to address high-risk cases swiftly

Lam Lon Wai

Lawmaker Lam Lon Wai has once again inquired about community mental health. In a written inquiry submitted through the Legislative Assembly, Lam emphasized the need to optimize the existing “four-tier mechanism” to address mental health issues, ensuring that high-risk cases are handled quickly.

Lam pointed out that, according to official statistics, there are 177 registered social workers in the rehabilitation service sector, accounting for 12% of the total number of registered social workers.

As of the end of September 2024, there were 3,600 people with certified mental disabilities, representing 19.43% of the total number of people with disabilities in Macau. Lam also noted that about half of these individuals are aged 55 or older.

He highlighted that recently, the number of high-risk cases in the community has been growing among older citizens, with a low ratio of mental health professionals available to address the rising number of cases.

According to the lawmaker, each staff member of the community psychiatric rehabilitation services is responsible for an average of 30 clients, a ratio that can also be found in other countries and regions.

Still, he expressed concern that, with rapid socio-economic development, the issue of mental disorders in the local community will grow faster than the number of available professionals.

Lam argued that the existing regulations for compulsory treatment and hospitalization for certain mental illnesses are difficult to implement, creating additional risks for both the community and those suffering from the diseases.

He called on the authorities to optimize the norms and criteria for hospitalization to better address high-risk cases.

The same lawmaker also urged the authorities to revise the 10-year rehabilitation plan and formulate better measures to secure more manpower resources and improve planning to respond to high-risk mental illness cases, ultimately easing the pressure on frontline staff and improving the management of these cases.