More Thais are suffering from stress and are feeling hopeless and exhausted due to the new wave of the coronavirus pandemic, which started in April this year, than earlier this year, according to Thailand’s Mental Health Department.

Speaking at the Annual International Mental Health Conference, on the topic of “New Normal Mental Health”, the department’s director-general, Dr. Panpimol Wipulakorn, said the wave of COVID-19 infections, since April, has increased the level of anxiety, hopelessness and exhaustion in zones which have seen more infections than the rest of the country.

“This may be because people feel that the situation has not yet resolved and they have become gradually exhausted, because we can’t see clearly when this will be, as we could in the past waves,” she said.

The number of people suffering from anxiety has not decreased, compared to early this year, when the situation eased after two to three months, she said.

The Department is planning to work closely with urban communities, to encourage people to take care of each other mentally, and to open public spaces, in which people can relax, with strict COVID-19 preventive measures in place, while urging people to limit going out and compliance with such the preventative measures when doing so, Dr. Panpimol said.

Up to 2,551 Thais committed suicide in the first half of 2020, according to the Department.