Last week, the Health Bureau released suicide data for the first quarter of 2025: 18 suicide deaths were recorded, ranging in age from 29 to 72. This represents a decrease of seven cases compared to the previous quarter, and four fewer than the same period in 2024. Nevertheless, a recent succession of suicides has sparked growing public concern. Between 2015 and 2024, the number of suicide deaths rose from 61 to 91, while suicide attempts increased from 101 to 249, according to figures from the Secretariat for Security. This week, lawmaker Ron Lam also expressed concern about the mental health of young people during a session of the Legislative Assembly.
Academic research on suicide in Macau is “limited, with few studies addressing local trends or risk factors,” Cynthia Brochado told PLATAFORMA, stressing the need for deeper analysis. The psychology professor argues that research can help identify risk factors — such as mental health issues or financial difficulties — and guide targeted interventions, like school counselling or public awareness campaigns.
She also considers the Macau Health Survey, conducted by the Health Bureau, an essential tool for understanding residents’ mental health and preventing suicide. However, she emphasizes that conducting the survey only every ten years “limits its usefulness for detecting emerging trends or enabling timely interventions” — particularly given that data between 2015 and 2024 shows suicide rates have not declined. For this reason, she suggests the survey be carried out every five years to enable a more agile response to challenges such as depression or economic insecurity. To maximize impact, she urges the government to “promote community involvement, fight stigma, and share the survey results.”
The Secretary-General of Caritas Macau, Paul Pun, says that “suicide knows no age boundaries.” According to Pun, people at different stages of life face different pressures: middle-aged adults may simultaneously face job stress, financial struggles, and family or parenting difficulties, making it hard to pinpoint specific causes of suicide. Cynthia Brochado adds that suicide statistics in Macau must be analysed with care and not reduced to numbers, “because each suicide is a tragedy that deserves serious attention.”
Building Support
The professor adds that each suicide reflects complex and long-term factors — including mental health issues, financial stress, or social isolation — often worsened by the difficulty of seeking help. She also emphasizes that “expanding mental health services, workplace support, and community intervention can help prevent suicide and create a more supportive environment for those in need.”
Paul Pun likewise expresses hope that society will pay more attention to emotional well-being — both personal and of those around them — and accept that emotional fluctuations are normal. “If I say I have high blood pressure, people accept it, right? But do they accept it if I say my mood fluctuates? We routinely measure blood pressure — do we ever measure our emotions?” He hopes for an environment that allows people to release stress and emotions, so that those facing difficulties can seek help: “We want them to know we’re growing alongside them — that they’re not alone.”
Pun also suggests that higher education institutions in Macau consider the example of the Hong Kong Metropolitan University, where mental health first aid training is now mandatory. He notes that everyone has a role to play in caring for others: “If a waiter takes part in the ‘Guardian of Life’ programme — a government community support initiative — they can help customers if they notice signs of distress.”
Cynthia Brochado also highlights a WHO recommendation that sustainable mental health care systems should be based on self-care, informal community support, and primary care. “To ensure the sustainability of mental health services, it is essential to invest more resources at the primary level, so the majority of the population can benefit.” She further stresses that suicide rates have not declined between 2015 and 2024, which reinforces the need for proactive measures. Lastly, she advocates for continuous evaluation and optimization of existing strategies, consolidation of effective approaches, and prioritization of interventions with proven results.
