Patients who suffer mental illness say they face discrimination in the workplace, in hospitals and from the media.
According to the commission, more than half of 95 complaints filed by mental patients or former patients in the past three years were related to unfair treatment by their employers - mainly dismissal.
One nurse who applied for a week of leave to seek treatment for depression said she was almost fired.
Even calling for help by dialling 999 is a put-off for mental patients, according to Hong Kong Association of Relatives For Mental Health member Mok Yu-lok.
'Why must they send a large number of policemen once they know they have to take a mental patient to hospital?' Mr Mok asked.
One mental patient said: 'As soon as outpatient doctors read my medical history, they refer me to the psychiatric ward, even though I was in for treating an illness unrelated to my mental health.' Chinese University's Dr Lee said making a fuss only caused patients further trouble.
