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Mental health

Mental health
The latest mental health news including well-being, depression, mindfulness and mental health resources.
A teenager sits with a phone in Tuen Mun on May 11, 2025. The number of secondary school students diagnosed with mental illness in Hong Kong has doubled over the past five academic years. Photo: Sun Yeung
Hong Kong society

Editorial | Hong Kong should do everything possible on youth mental health

Even with a slew of policies, the city must work harder to create a safe, supportive environment in which young people can thrive.

Hong Kong society

Body of 32-year-old man found floating off Hong Kong park

Wellness

How cooking can help lower your dementia risk – even just 1 meal a week

United States

Trump signs order to speed up review of psychedelics

This would expedite review of drugs such as ibogaine, a drug that US military ‌veteran groups have said can help ⁠treat PTSD.

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Trump holds an executive order about easing restrictions on mental health treatments, including ibogaine, which he signed. Photo: Reuters
Wellness

Pros and cons of aiming for 10,000 steps a day and why less can be more

Walking 10,000 steps a day comes with a host of powerful health benefits but can be an off-putting goal for people who sit all day for work.

Wellness

Explainer: What is a death doula – and why is Nicole Kidman becoming one?

While birth doulas support pregnant people, death doulas support the terminally ill – and Hamnet director Chloé Zhao has trained to become one too.

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Education in Hong Kong

Number of Hong Kong secondary students with mental illness doubles in 5 years

Education authorities say the increase may be under-reported because of reluctance among parents and pupils to disclose health information.

The number of secondary school pupils with mental illness has doubled over the past five years in Hong Kong. Photo: Dickson Lee
Hong Kong courts

Mentally ill son who killed mother detained indefinitely at psychiatric hospital

Hong Kong court says sentence for Wong Chun-kit, who killed mother amid delusion she was ‘monster lizard’, is ‘most appropriate’ for public safety and his welfare.

Indonesia

‘Alarming’ film poster sparks debate on child mental health in Indonesia

Psychologists warn provocative posters like the ones for ‘I Must Die’ can trigger suicidal ideation amid rising mental health struggles.

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Wellness

Just 1 hour. How a single therapy session can help you overcome a problem

Experts and patients alike praise single-session therapy, which offers a more targeted approach to counselling while saving money and time.

In single-session therapy, a counsellor helps the client identify concrete steps towards relieving a specific problem with the intention of not completely solving it, but rather to help clients walk away with a toolbox of strategies for how to approach it. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong society

Letters | Policy support is needed to create Asia-specific mental health safety nets

Readers discuss how to better protect vulnerable populations across the region, the HK$2 scheme, and animal experiments.

People walk across a bridge, with Kai Ching Estate and Choi Hung Estate in the background, in 2025. A public health approach ought to be taken to mental health crisis intervention by integrating police with academia and NGOs. Photo: Jelly Tse
Wellness

Why internet use can actually lower your risk of dementia

While excessive screen time can harm young brains, a study finds that using the internet wisely can boost cognitive health in older adults.

Japan

‘Unable to handle rejection’: the forces driving Japan’s knife crime wave

Experts warn a generation raised on screens is losing the ability to handle real-world rejection.

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Hong Kong society

Leader of Hong Kong’s Catholics calls for giving young offenders ‘second chance’

In his Easter message, Cardinal Stephen Chow says prolonged investigations can cause mental stress, without directly referring to 2019 protests.

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Security chief Chris Tang has repeatedly stated there is no time limit for charging the roughly 7,000 protesters arrested during the 2019 social unrest. Photo: Robert Ng
Wellness

What is autism? Understanding the spectrum, gut-brain connection and more

Ahead of World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, we speak with experts and researchers to understand the neurodivergent condition.

Amanda Oswalt Visher, director of psychological services at Spot Children’s Therapy Centre, simulates an autism assessment session with her son, Theodore. The centre provides psychology, counselling, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and specialist teaching across four clinics in Hong Kong. Photo: Karma Lo
Crime in Hong Kong

Man shot by Hong Kong police dies after 10 days in critical condition

Officers fired five rounds at 43-year-old after he allegedly charged at them with knife and metal rod on March 21 in Kwai Chung.

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Hong Kong society

Letters | Start early, connect deeply: addressing Gen Z’s mental health crisis

Readers discuss how Hong Kong should respond to a survey on depression among the youth, and campaigns against sexual harassment for young people.

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Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Hong Kong defends 3-hour limit for Wang Fuk Court residents to collect belongings

Authorities say restricted hours for residents to return to fire-hit estate are necessary to avoid overcrowding, unfairness and delays.

Hong Kong authorities say strict time rules balance safety, order and equal access for all residents. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Wellness

From the corporate world to the couch: Hong Kong’s new midlife career pivot

More Hong Kong professionals in their forties and beyond are becoming therapists or coaches, seeking a new purpose and a change in career.

Wellness

How a California studio is helping autistic artists break into Hollywood

Visual effects studio Exceptional Minds in Los Angeles is preparing adults with autism for careers in Hollywood.

Trending in China

China woman lives in nursing home, pays US$30 rent by being companion to residents

25-year-old says care venue ‘feels like home’; friendship scheme aims to ease work pressure on young, address ageing population problem.

A 25-year-old woman in China has lived in a nursing home for over two years, paying just US$30 monthly rent by providing companionship to elderly fellow residents. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
Hong Kong youth

Opinion | Our stressed children need a different kind of education

Mental health requires the cultivation of an inner life: a capacity for meaning, connection and orientation in a shifting world.

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Young volunteers offer a lollipop to a child affected by the Tai Po fire, at the nearby Kwong Fuk Estate podium in Hong Kong on November 28. Photo: Karma Lo
Social media

Meta ordered to pay US$375 million in New Mexico child safety trial

Meta said it would challenge the decision after a jury found the social media giant liable for endangering minors.

Wellness

Many TikTok videos on ADHD, autism are ‘inaccurate’, study claims

Social media misinformation on ADHD and autism is rife, especially on TikTok, and experts are urging better content moderation.

Wellness

Can poor sleep lead to dementia? What you need to know about the links

Studies link poor-quality sleep to dementia types like Alzheimer’s disease, but experts explain why the picture might be more complex.

A recent study found that about 13 per cent of dementia cases may have roots in insomnia, and that poor sleep may be as significant a dementia risk factor as hearing loss and hypertension. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

How to overcome your fear of flying as flight anxiety runs high

With recent air safety incidents contributing to travellers’ trepidation, we get tips from an aviophobe and a psychologist on how to cope.

As many as 40 per cent of people in developed countries grapple with some form of aviophobia – a clinical anxiety that turns a flight into a psychological battle. But there are many tips and strategies travellers can employ to overcome their fear of flying. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

Feeling stressed? Let it all out – literally – at Scream Clubs

I scream, you scream, we all scream for… stress relief? In the US, a growing number of people are finding catharsis at Scream Clubs.

Good Schools Guide

Will the Hong Kong government weight-management plan really help kids?

The proposed action plan includes the Education Bureau’s suggestion of school weigh-ins, which has sparked concern among dietitians, psychologists and NGOs.

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