Academics act to curb 'social disease'

University of Hong Kong experts have set up a research centre to study ways to stem the rising tide of suicides.

Head of the social science faculty, Professor Cecilia Chan Lai-wan, said the decision to set up the centre, which will include experts in the fields of social work, clinical psychology, statistics and sociology, was made on Thursday.

'There has been a surge in suicide cases in the community and we consider it urgent to set up a centre to try to find solutions to this social disease,' Professor Chan said.

She said the centre might start operating in three months. It hoped to set out an early assessment system to gauge the likelihood of people committing suicide. It would also study cases and look at training packages for frontline social workers and medical officers who deal with people at risk. She said the university had also offered to train social workers at a family crisis centre that is expected to be established early next year.

Meanwhile, a stress hotline for teachers set up in 1994 by the Professional Teachers' Union received 42 calls last year, compared to 31 in 1999.