One in three suffer mental illness, survey finds
Survey finds that middle-aged men most at risk of suffering from the stress of life in the city
More than one-third of Hongkongers suffer from mental illness, according to a survey by city psychiatrists.
The organisers of the Mental Health Month campaign, who conducted the survey, say the findings suggest that middle-aged, poorly educated, jobless men who are shy and quiet are the most vulnerable when it came to mental health.
One thousand people were randomly selected for telephone interviews in August and September and asked five questions taken from a screening system for depression developed by the World Health Organisation, known as the WHO-5.
Depending on responses a score between 0 to 100 is awarded, with 100 representing full mental health and 50 a pass mark. According to the results, released yesterday, 65 per cent of the 1,000 respondents scored 50 or more, while 35 per cent scored below 50. The overall average score was 56. No margin of error was immediately available.
By age group, those between 15 and 24 appeared to be the healthiest mentally, scoring just over 63 points. And those between 35 years old and 44 years old were on the edge of being mentally unhealthy, with a score of 53. By occupation, students scored the best, with 65 points, while jobless people scored the lowest, with 44 points. Part-time workers scored 59 points, and retirees and housewives 58.
The research did not ask about respondents' sources of mental stress.