BANGKOK, 1 July 2011 – The Department of Mental Health will conduct a new mental health survey this July after finding the stress level of Thai people is reducing generally from January last year.
Deputy Director-General Medical Doctor Tawee Tungsaeree elaborated that the Department has been conducting the survey every three months to measure the mental health temperature of Thai people in different periods. Results will be used in the drawing up of measures to promote mental health of the Thai people.
The new round of survey will be conduted from 4-10 July via telephone interviews with 4,200 respondents with home phones in 16 provinces nationwide.
Based on previous study results, the stress level of Thai people rose from 11.7% in April 2009 to 16.3% in January 2010 before reducing gradually to 7.8% in October 2010. It then rose slightly again before declining to 7.3% in April 2011.
Major causes of stress are financial difficulties, family relationships, problems at workplaces and political conflicts. Medical Doctor Tawee said stress is a normal problem that everyone must face and deal with conscientiously.
Conducting the interviews are nurses, psychiatrists and social workers of the department while questions involve causes of stress, ways of getting rid of it and self-evaluation by correspondents.
