The update was presented at the first meeting of the Phuket Provincial Mental Health Subcommittee for 2026, held at Phuket Provincial Public Health Office on Friday (Feb 6).
Banphot Pankleub, Deputy Provincial Public Health Officer, chaired the meeting, with Dr Phaskorn Khumsiri, Head of Mental Health at the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, and representatives from relevant agencies in attendance.
Data covering the period from October 2024 to May 2025 was presented to the meeting, alongside an overview of the mental health and drug addiction situation in Phuket Province.
The subcommittee approved the minutes of the previous meeting and reviewed progress on key initiatives, including expansion of the ‘Satir Model’ and motivational interviewing (MI) in counselling services, youth drug prevention programmes integrated with the To Be Number One project, the use of mental health screening systems in schools, and follow-up care for high-risk psychiatric patients, particularly young people with complex mental health problems.
Officials noted that voluntary treatment remains the primary approach for drug users and people with substance addiction issues, supported by continued community participation, although challenges remain in post-treatment follow-up and long-term rehabilitation.
The meeting also reviewed child and youth mental health screening results using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), which identified a number of students at risk of mental health problems.
Reports from Vachira Phuket Hospital, Chalong Hospital, Patong Hospital and Thalang Hospital provided further data on psychiatric and substance abuse patients, trends in service access, and ongoing staffing and resource constraints.
Provincial officials said the meeting served as a platform to strengthen coordination between agencies, develop joint strategies and improve surveillance and support systems for at-risk groups, with the aim of improving mental health services and drug prevention efforts in Phuket.