A Facebook page was launched on Friday to give advice to police and their family members in a bid to fight workplace depression.
The Police General Hospital debuted the Depress We Care account as a platform offering tips to help depressed officers and their family members.
The page is administered by doctors at the hospital with psychological expertise.
"This page is set up for all policemen and their families as a communication channel to offer advice and promote psychological knowledge," said the message posted on its account.
The account was created after the Royal Thai Police Office saw a jump in the number of depressed staff and their family members seeking counsel at the hospital for work-related issues.
In 2015, 108 police officers received treatment for depression, while the number rose to 143 in 2016 and 171 last year, according to hospital figures.
A similar trend has been seen among their family members, with 67 seeking treatment in 2015, 88 in 2016 and 105 last year.
Acting Pol Maj Gen Pongkwan Yimsa-ard said during the launching ceremony that people with severe depression could end up with suicide. But it could be cured with proper treatments to help them regain a normal life, she added.
Acting Pol Maj Thiti Pakdurong said police are among the groups most vulnerable to dangers from depression compared with other groups.
"Policing is a professional career with easy access to firearms, making policemen more prone to the risk of seriously hurting themselves," he said on a YouTube account to promote the Facebook page.
