Lynzy Valles
The distressing suicides of several young people this year have come to the attention of the education and social welfare bureaus, implying the urgent need to not just raise awareness of the mental health of these teenagers, but the fact that there are a number of students suffering in silence.
Two recently-released surveys of local organizations on the prevalence of mental health issues, if I recall correctly, show how the (adult) respondents are more vocal when expressing their anxiety, worry and concern that they feel in the new normal. This new reality includes the pandemic, joblessness and an economic downturn that is being felt in local households.
While residents are experiencing depression and anxiety due to a number of common factors, students are taking it differently. Their studies, or perhaps family problems, could be a big factor.
One of the issues that remain is the poor inaccessibility to mental health resources. Recent cases have pushed the government to establish a taskforce which involves several government bureaus, two education associations and Caritas Macau’s Life Hope Hotline.
Local groups have also called on the government to take action to support the mental health needs of residents, with a particular focus on supporting students, workers and seniors.
However, I believe the main remaining issue is the lack of accessibility of these resources – even more so for those who do not speak the local language.
Although there is no concrete and official data on how sufficient mental health resources are in the city, I can say that at least within the public system, it takes quite some time to gain access to a psychologist or a psychiatrist.
I know of one person who had to wait for nearly two months to get access to a psychologist just because a private practitioner with a physical clinic costs at least 1000% the price of a public practitioner, which costs no more than 100 patacas.
Demand for mental health services, I assume, has been on the rise. But it’s not just stigma that deters one from seeking help – but rather the fact that there are long waits – it’s just inaccessible in many ways.
Studies have found that members of Gen Z have higher reported rates of depression and are more anxious compared to previous generations. The recent suicide cases in the city have echoed this fact.
On a positive note, meanwhile, anxiety and depression among this generation are not seen as “embarrassing,” or as a “weakness.” Rather, they have embraced the fact that mental health is as important as physical health.
And I think that is how we should all see it. It is something to be taken care of. Rest is good. A pause is good. Seeking help is good. And more importantly, all kinds of help to overcome this stigma is good.
The director of the education bureau has previously expressed that the bureau cannot be the sole agent in eradicating the issue of student suicide, rather it is a social effort.
Although academics play a significant role in a young person’s life, causing them stress and worry as the culture of excellence in education remains in the city, it is worthwhile noting that while many do well in coping with these stressors, there are still a number who do not.
I hope this is a wake-up call that there is more to be done to not just educate the public on mental health matters, but to actually be open and be accepting of how these issues will persist. One only overcomes these problems in the long run when help is within reach – when help is considered as “good.”
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