LettersAs the coronavirus pandemic takes a toll on mental health, don’t hesitate to seek help

Name: Covid-19 is taking a ‘deep toll’ on Hong Kong's mental health, top government adviser Wong Yan-lung
Uploaded: 2021-02-07T06:35:10.000Z
Duration: 2 min 19 s
Description: Covid-19 is taking a ‘deep toll’ on Hong Kong's mental health, top government adviser Wong Yan-lung

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Hong Kong charities have warned of an alarming rise in the number of young people struggling with emotional distress and suicidal thoughts during the coronavirus pandemic. Photo: Shutterstock

Letters

Published: 2:35pm, 7 Feb 2021Updated: 2:35pm, 7 Feb 2021

Hong Kong has seen a surge in mental health issues, especially after the protests and Covid-19. At any one time, an estimated one in seven people here will face a common mental disorder.

Through my own battle with anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder, I noticed three key issues. First, there is still a stigma surrounding discussion of mental health, or even saying anything related to it. People still look down on mental health sufferers or think they are “crazy”. That is why many conceal their problems and try to cope with them themselves. However, one can only hold so much in before falling apart.

Second, many people fail to recognise when they have a mental health problem. I visited a counsellor when I noticed something different about myself: I did not want to go out and socialise, had no energy, felt hopeless, had intense neck pain, poorer memory, did not want to eat or get out of bed; the list went on. When my counsellor gave me a brochure, I was shocked to find out that I had all 15 symptoms of depression.

I was unfamiliar with this topic and she referred me to a psychiatrist for medication. I was just another example of the many who leave their mental health problems untreated, potentially harming themselves and even others.

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Covid-19 is taking a ‘deep toll’ on Hong Kong's mental health, top government adviser Wong Yan-lung

Third, the young do not receive enough information about mental health problems. If I had known more, I could have avoided much of the pain and stress I went through in university, which triggered my depression. That I felt alone and that no one would support me highlights the lack of mental health resources in Hong Kong.