The National Health Security Office (NHSO) has extended its support to the 1323 mental health hotline.
Dr Wimol Wanpen, director of the Institute of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, said the Department of Mental Health has been providing a 24-hour hotline service offering free consultancies but its capacity is limited.
It has 15 lines and 50 psychologists, not enough to serve the increasing number of patients, she said. According to her estimation, only 20% of calls are answered. Due to a limited budget, it was unable to provide additional staff.
Dr Wimol also expressed concern at the rising suicide rate, which climbed last year during the pandemic from 6.4 to 7.3 people per 100,000 people. Seniors aged 60 years old and older are the most vulnerable group, with a corresponding suicide rate of 9.64. They were followed by people aged 20-59 years (8.71) and youths aged 15-19 years (2.63). Teenagers yielded the highest number of failed suicide attempts, or 224.38 per 100,000 people.
When the mental health hotline is included in the NHSO’s service, the department expects to have a bigger budget to expand its team, Dr Wimol said.
For every call made from someone holding a universal healthcare card, the department will receive 50 baht from the NHSO. In addition to the 1323 hotline, people can visit the hotline’s website (https://1323alltime.camri.go.th/).