Mental health issues prevalent amongst young people

The Richmond Fellowship of Macau has reported an increasing number of young people seeking assistance for mental health concerns. Through their outreach program, they have also discovered previously unknown cases. Similarly, the Social Welfare Bureau has observed a rise in young individuals with emotional struggles reaching out to their service hotline for help, as cited in a TDM report.

The Richmond Fellowship of Macau offers home visits and support to individuals with mental illness. With the growing demand for their services, the organization has expressed the need for more counselors to provide assistance.

The organization not only helps individuals directly but also extends support and advice to their families and friends, guiding them on how to best assist individuals with mental illness.

In 2023, the two help hotlines provided by the Social Welfare Bureau and Caritas received a total of 11,800 calls for assistance. This number indicated a general decrease of 10% in cases compared to the previous year. However, the increase in the number of young individuals seeking help is viewed as a concerning trend.

Wong Kuan U, a social worker for the organization, explained, “In our program, we regularly visit the homes of individuals in need. Besides receiving calls on our hotline, we also identify hidden cases through our outreach activities. Therefore, we require additional staff as our current manpower is insufficient.”  Staff Reporter