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Experts say many elderly feel a burden to their families and that Hong Kong's cramped quarters exacerbate the problem. Photo: Nora Tam

Suicide: the taboo that’s killing Hong Kong’s elderly

Study shows over-65s are twice as likely to take their lives compared to people in other age groups.

The suicide rate of people over 65 in Hong Kong is almost double that of any other age group, and with a rapidly ageing population, prevention authorities face an uphill struggle.

In 2012, the suicide rate among people aged over 65 was 25.4 per 100,000 - double the average of 12.7 across all age groups, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention found.

The rate - according to the most up to date figures available - was more or less unchanged from 2011, but experts warn that as Hong Kong's elderly population surges, so too could the number of suicides.

The number of people over 65 is expected to more than double to 2.6 million by 2041, up from the current one million, according to government estimates.

"We have a challenge because Hong Kong is an ageing society," warned Dr Frances Law Yik-wa, of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong. "The efforts we are now putting in might just keep the balance."

Experts say that a cultural taboo around death and suicide is a barrier to combating the problem, and that the city's cramped living quarters make some elderly people feel they are crowding their family.

"I think it's a cultural issue because death is something we try to avoid talking about. Suicide is also one we avoid," said Ed Wong, fundraising and communication manager at the Samaritans Hong Kong.

"In Hong Kong, in Asia, people are not used to sharing their feelings, their emotions with others, even family members."

This also meant the government was not as vocal as it might be on other topics, Wong said.

The World Health Organisation says that suicide rates for people over 70 are the highest in almost all countries. However, some Asian countries fare badly when compared with the West.

The suicide rate for people over 70 was 51.5 in China and 25.5 in Japan, yet only 6.3 in the United Kingdom and 16.5 in the United States, found the WHO. It did not provide Hong Kong data.

Hong Kong's Samaritans received nearly 30,000 calls last year. Men made up 42 per cent of callers and women 26 per cent, while the rest were silent.

In 2013, Hong Kong's coroner registered 363 suicides of people aged over 65, compared with 283 in 2012, said Wong. However, not all suicide cases are registered at the coroner's court. Wong could not explain the increase.

The Health Authority launched the Elderly Suicide Prevention programme in 2002 to identify high-risk cases for professional help, including home visits. It has treated more than 7,000 elderly people.

Many elderly saw themselves as a burden, Wong said.

Law said more outreach services were needed as current programmes focused on those willing to talk; those who do not speak up do not get attention.

"And also we need some kind of programme to help bring in more pro-active health awareness to the elderly so they feel like it is no longer taboo to talk about this issue," Law said.

 

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Suicide: the taboo killing our elderly
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