Carers of those suffering from mental illness in Hong Kong need our support, too

Mental-health-related problems are a chief contributor to the global economic burden of non-communicable diseases due to the loss of productivity, treatment cost and burden of care, with the projected cost surging to US$6 trillion by 2030.

In Hong Kong, a citywide study, the Hong Kong Mental Morbidity Survey, was conducted between 2010 and 2013. Of the 5,710 adults aged 16-75 surveyed, more than 13 per cent were estimated to be suffering from common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety disorders, in the previous week. Among those affected, only 26 per cent had sought help from mental health services during the previous year, and those who had not were likely to be men with low educational attainment.

Untreated conditions often exacerbate over time, resulting in the situation being more difficult to manage, inflicting a heavy burden on the person affected in addition to their family and caregivers.

Due to the global trend of the deinstitutionalisation of those suffering from mental health disorders in the past five decades, families have inevitably assumed an active role as caregivers for individuals living with such conditions. This is especially the case for Chinese, who greatly value close family ties.

Train GPs to spot problems early, says Hong Kong mental health survey

One local study on first-episode psychosis reported that more than 50 per cent of people with schizophrenia are either living with or receiving care and assistance from their families.