Since the beginning of the community outbreak, until late yesterday afternoon, the Caritas Macau helpline for suicide prevention received 18 calls, in addition to more than 500 requests for help for other psychological reasons. In just three weeks, the calls exceeded a third of those received in a whole year. Two psychologists say Macau’s mental health outlook has worsened.
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Since the fight to combat the Covid-19 community outbreak that has broken out in Macau began, the mental health outlook for the population has worsened. One of the data that denotes this reality was the considerable increase of calls received by the suicide prevention and psychological support hotline of Caritas Macau.
Since June 18, until late yesterday afternoon, the helpline was contacted 18 times. Paul Pun, secretary-general of Caritas Macau, described to HM an upward trend and calls for the community to help each other. “Normally in a year we get between 45 and 50 calls, but this year we have had more people come forward. Right now, we need more resources and staff to be able to help people. We have staff working around the clock,” he told HM.
