With almost 60 per cent of families on shaky ground, some 2,000 people took their lives in the first half of this year and onethird of marriages end in divorce.
Strengthening the family, economy, religion and society was very important to promote happiness, Dr Chatree Bancheun, directorgeneral of the Mental Health Department, told the ninth international mental health conference yesterday.
He cited the Social Development and Human Security Ministry's report last year that 57.2 per cent of families were deemed not strong.
The factors contributing the most to family instability were the lack of community strength at 77.8 per cent, the family's lack of social capital at 65.9 per cent and the family members' relationship problems at 46.5 per cent, he said.
The weak state of the family was especially hard on children and youths, propelling them to violence and drugs.
With many cases of abuse of girls and domestic violence, the divorce rate has surged from onetenth a decade ago to onethird, he said. The suicide rate in the first half of this year was 3.5 per 100,000 people or about 2,000 cases. For the whole year, the suicide rate could go up to 6, he said. Over the past decade, suicides peaked during the 1999 economic crisis at 8.6.
Dr Weerayuth Prapanpoj, head of Rajanukul Institute's Centre for Medical Genetics Research, said that by 2020, depression could be a key killer, so the centre's researchers were working on genetic decoding to invent a test kit for more efficient treatment of victims.
Prawes Wasi, chairman of the National Reform Committee, urged the government to open a clinic to heal social problems, staffed with lawyers, teachers and volunteers to counsel people.
He was giving a speech for the introduction of the Artists' Network for Reform Committee at the Thailand Cultural Centre yesterday.
He said his panel would hold a general assembly in six months and would invite the prime minister to hear its ideas and draw up a policy from them.