More than half of Hong Kong secondary school pupils show symptoms of depression, quarter display signs of anxiety
Key causes are stress from university entrance exams and concern about future prospects, study finds
More than half of Hong Kong secondary school pupils show symptoms of depression while a quarter display signs of anxiety, a study has found, with key causes being stress from university entrance exams and concern about their future prospects.
The survey by Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service looked at 15,560 pupils in Form One to Six at 37 schools across Hong Kong, and found 53 per cent displayed symptoms of depression.
That figure was higher than the 51 per cent recorded in the 2014-15 academic year, the 50 per cent in 2013-14 and 51 per cent in 2012-2013, when the same study was carried out.
When asked what bothered them most, the top problems students identified were stress stemming from the Diploma of Secondary Education exams, other academic issues and concerns about their future.
The situation was worse among upper secondary pupils, who were between 6 and 11 percentage points more likely to display symptoms of depression than those in lower secondary.
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“In the higher years, the DSE examination is drawing closer and they start thinking about the future,” social worker Thomas Fung Chak-tong said.