Collection: Book Exhibition ── Solitude and I Gaze in Silent Contemplation: Emotions, Life and Death, and Healing Book Selection

Last year, Macau recorded 90 suicide cases, reaching a recent high. The causes of suicide are complex and multifaceted. While mental health issues or financial difficulties are often cited, factors such as loneliness, stress, and social isolation are frequently overlooked. This reminds us that society needs to respond more comprehensively to people's emotional struggles.

The issue of youth suicide is particularly concerning. Last year, minors accounted for approximately 3.3% of suicide cases, with the youngest being just twelve years old. Academic pressure, insufficient psychological resources, and a lack of transparency in information contribute to this predicament. Although relevant departments have made efforts, data transparency still needs to be strengthened, making it difficult for society to delve into the root causes. Elderly individuals living alone are also vulnerable. In 2021, only about one-third of elderly people living alone or in dual-elderly households received services, leading to frequent "lonely deaths." Declining health and social isolation push them to the brink of despair in their later years.

This year, the Zing Zing book exhibition explores the real struggles behind the numbers through picture books, philosophy, and literature, aiming to soothe the gaps of pain. For teenagers, "It's Okay to Cry Like a Fountain" encourages emotional release, asking "What if the tears never stop?"; "Grief is an Elephant" views sadness as a gift, and "The Year I Couldn't Sleep" accompanies those with insomnia to self-heal and embrace the uneasiness of sleepless nights.

The Health Bureau provides free psychological services, but studies show low utilization rates, especially among the elderly. Loneliness and health problems often trigger depression. Resource promotion and distribution need to be more effective, and caregivers also need guidance to cope with challenges. The local picture book "The Caregiver" gently reconstructs the emotional connection between the elderly and their loved ones. Surveys consistently show that the families of the deceased are prone to self-blame. "You Deserve to Feel Guilty" and the picture book "My Sadness is Like an Elephant" both teach how to let go of guilt and not seal away cherished past memories, but rather to illuminate the light of love.

In the darkness, we all think we are alone on the other side of loneliness, but a tiny glimmer of light is enough to make us recognize each other.