Kwun Tong district saw the highest number of suicides among all young people; a lawmaker said the area’s low income could be a factor. Photo: Shutterstock/seaonwebIf you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who is experiencing them, help is available. Dial 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services.
Suicide rates among girls under 15 in Hong Kong have surged, with Kwun Tong district experiencing the highest number of such deaths. Experts attribute this rise to the pandemic’s impact on young people’s mental health, highlighting the need for increased support and resources.
Figures published yesterday by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong estimated the citywide rate for all ages was 13.6 deaths per 100,000 people in 2023, a slight decrease from 13.7 in 2022.
But the centre found the suicide rate for girls under 15 had risen from 0.5 in 2022 to 4.2 last year. The data also showed the level for women aged 60 and above last year was 11.7, down from 15.8 in 2022.
Professor Paul Yip Siu-fai, the centre’s director, said the Covid-19 pandemic had hindered young people’s development during their formative years.
“There are scars developing [within young people],” he said. “Females tend to place more importance on peer relationships.”
The academic also cited the impact of lockdowns on school schedules.
“The government neglected the psychological health of residents during the Covid-19 lockdowns. They couldn’t go out,” he said.
280 Hong Kong students identified as being at higher risk of suicide
Yip said relationships formed with friends and teachers after the pandemic also determined whether teenagers could bridge gaps in their mental development during such a turbulent time.
“If our society can assist young people to fill the gaps in the coming years, it can help prevent the deaths of young people during their development stage,” he said, adding that high suicide rates were being reported throughout the region.
“The rising suicide rate among young people is a trend not only being observed in Hong Kong, but in places such as Tokyo in Japan and Singapore.”
The academic urged local authorities to introduce more measures and offer additional resources to support young people, while calling on parents to keep an eye on their children’s behaviour.
Yip also gave a breakdown of suicide cases among those under 15 by district, with Kwun Tong recording five such instances last year. Another three were logged in Kowloon City, while the remaining districts saw either one or no deaths.
Lawmaker Ngan Man-yu said that Kwun Tong was a “relatively poor” district and suggested such a factor could contribute to its high number of suicides among those under 15.
“The living environment [of the residents in the district] is so crowded and the resources allocated are fewer compared with other regions, with all these reasons causing young people to feel unhappy,” he said.
The legislator said there was no single solution and it would take collaboration between various departments to tackle the problem. “I urge the government to continue cooperating with all stakeholders to more comprehensively promote adolescent mental health,” he said.
Lisa Ho Sin-hang, a training consultant and clinical psychologist with the centre, said some young people could feel they had failed to meet their parents’ expectations, potentially having a negative impact on their mental health.
“Some might feel that leaving the world is their only option when they cannot find solutions to their problems,” she said.
Ho said changes in a child’s academic performance could serve as an indicator of their mental health.
She also recommended that parents be more aware of their own mental health and seek professional help if they or their children struggled with such issues.
According to the World Health Organization’s mortality database, the post-pandemic suicide rate of those aged between 15 and 24 in developed countries and regions ranged from five to 16 per 100,000 people.