Surveys conducted between Jan 1, 2020, and Feb 20 this year by the Department of Mental Health revealed that over 6 million Thai people suffer from mental health issues. Of these, 560,000 or 9.1% are at risk of depression, while 480,000 or 7.9% face high stress, and 310,000 or 5.2% are at risk of suicide.
People aged 20 to 29 are at high risk in all areas — 29.5% at risk of depression, 26.2% at risk of stress and 17.5% at risk of suicide. In 2024, the survey discovered that over 5,000 Thai people committed suicide and it is estimated that there are 1.3 million people aged 15 and over with depression.
Due to the high rate of mental health issues and suicide incidents in shopping malls, mental health is a serious issue. To raise awareness, Sati, a mental health service application, collaborated with Thailand Institute for Mental Health Sustainability, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and many private sectors to hold the event “Better Mind Better Bangkok 2025” at Samyan Mitrtown last month.
The event provided information regarding activities that can increase energy, self-compassion, acceptance and gratitude. The information, shared on Oct 4, revealed that the Sati app has 64,297 users and the app took 33,744 calls. The average duration of a call was 18 minutes and six seconds. Users stated that their negative feelings and thought of self-harm decreased after the call.
In addition to activities at the event, there were also other forums including “Possibility: Dare To Dream Of Mental Health Policies That Address The Needs Of Urban Society”.
Dr Varoth Chotpitayasunondh, a psychiatrist and spokesperson with the Ministry of Public Health, kicked off the forum by answering the question, is it possible to dream of mental health policies that address the needs of urban society?
“I can’t say for sure how feasible it is, but we believe in our potential as an organisation that focuses on mental health,” Dr Varoth said. “Mental health care in Thailand will not focus solely on treatment or on increasing mental health professionals and hospitals. If that happens, many people will still suffer from mental health issues. We may try new projects that focus instead on prevention and public awareness which could lead to a reduction in the number of people experiencing mental health issues.”
Dr Suthee Saritsiri, director of the Health Promotion Division at the Health Department, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, said it already has some mental health services that people can access. Dr Suthee mentioned that the Urban Medicine Service Center in 11 hospitals under BMA provides medical services in the form of a one-stop service. Patients can ask for information about health problems, schedule an appointment for a checkup and consult doctors online via telemedicine.
The BMA also has a mental health screening system. Dr Suthee gave an example of a case she experienced.
“The team was called to the scene of a student who had jumped from the 7th floor of a school. Following the incident, students, teachers and other people who had experienced the event were given mental health screenings, as the experience could contribute to stress, depression and panic attacks.
“We learned that some students knew how to relieve stress, such as by exercising, singing or hanging out with friends, while some had no idea what to do,” explained Dr Suthee.
“We also learned that most students tend to discuss problems with their peers, so we encourage students to have leaders who coordinate with teachers. These leaders can help their peers with learning and academic activities. The school also organised meetings with parents, as their expectations can cause pressure on students. Parents should allow their children to learn what interests them.”
When asked what a mental health policy would look like, Dr Varoth said policies can be driven two ways — top-down or bottom-up. He gave the example of declaring May each year as a mental health month being a top-down policy.
For the bottom-up policy, Dr Varoth mentioned Sati’s Bench With Ears project which provides a safe space without charge for Bangkokians. Volunteers will be available to listen to participants without being judged for 40 minutes. Another project is Jood Pak Jai (A Resting Place For Your Heart) created by Pataradanai Setsuwan, a psychotherapist. Participants can speak with Pataradanai for five or 50 minutes without charge.
According to Dr Varoth, the number of patients with mental health problems has increased since 1990. However, Thailand still has a stigma around mental health.
“While the stigma surrounding mental health patients has improved, I noticed that many people still view mental health issues as not their own concern and so ignore them. Those people only pay attention when the issues affect themselves or their family members. If everyone realises that mental health issues are not solely the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Health or medical schools, more mental issues will be addressed,” explained Dr Varoth.
“An event like ‘Better Mind Better Bangkok 2025’ is a great example as it is a collaborative effort between multiple organisations that pool their resources. This helps people realise that mental health issues are related to everyone.”
Pataradanai, who worked as a volunteer psychotherapist in the UK for a couple of years, agreed that Thai people still have stigma about mental issues. Pataradanai said people in the UK have easy access to a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.
“Thai people have an attitude that mental health issues are like bacteria or a virus that needs to be treated. Seeing a psychiatrist in a private hospital is still a luxury service that not everyone can access. Therefore, I created Jood Pak Jai, so that people can relieve stress. Projects like ‘Bench With Ears’ help people feel they can be heard by others who are not psychotherapists or psychiatrists. They will feel that mental issues are not shameful and get access to mental health services,” said Pataradanai.
Dr Suthee pointed out that many mental health issues are caused by family since parents focus on the financial issues of making a living rather than building a relationship with their children.
“Many people, who are stressed and depressed, are from rural areas because they feel isolated and do not have anyone to turn to. Having someone to listen to them can help them feel better. Additionally, children should be taught life skills, including social skills, forgiveness and sharing. This will gradually improve society,” said Dr Suthee.
Dr Varoth encouraged people to start by appreciating themselves and pay it forward for a better society.
“If you can appreciate yourself, you will be able to appreciate those around you and others. If everyone does this, the positive feeling will spread to others. I believe that mental health is not just one person’s business, but everyone’s business. I hope everyone will work together to cope with mental health issues.”