World Suicide Prevention Day is a good time for Hong Kong to come together and move past its protest-filled summer

The World Health Organisation identifies suicide as a serious global health challenge whose signs must be recognised

And for Hong Kong, recent deaths that have been blamed on the local crisis show the need for reconciliation

Reading Time:4 minutes

Members of the community attend a memorial service at the Education University in Tai Po in July for two students from the school who lost their lives. A recent report on youth who sought help on problems amid the continuing protests in Hong Kong found that as many as half of them displayed signs of depression. Photo: Edmond So

Published: 3:00pm, 9 Sep 2019Updated: 3:00pm, 9 Sep 2019

September 10 is the World Suicide Prevention Day. The latest suicide report by World Health Organisation reveals that more than 800,000 people die from suicide every year, equal to one suicide every 40 seconds.

The global suicide rate decreased by 32.7 per cent from 1990-2016, but the rate among young people has increased; it was the second-leading cause of death in young people aged 15-29. About 79 per cent of suicides occur in the low- and middle-income countries, where mental health resources are often scarce.

One of the 17 sustainable development goals proposed by the United Nations is to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”, which includes reducing the suicide rate. Valuable human capital has been lost to society due to suicide. Its negative impact is also felt by family members, friends, acquaintances, health care professionals and communities.

Suicide results from a convergence of genetic, psychological, social, cultural and other risk factors, sometimes combined with experiences of trauma and loss. Those who take their own lives have unique, complex and multifaceted causal influences; this presents challenges for suicide prevention experts.

It is tempting to simplify the causes of suicide, but nearly everyone suffers from more than one problem. Nevertheless, the presence of social support can be one protective factor. We need to feel care and support and for our voices to be heard. Remaining hopeful can give us the strength to put up with short-term troubles.

Hong Kong has experienced a challenging time arising from the protests against the extradition bill. It has been alleged that some of the suicides of the last three months were related to the societal tensions caused by the bill. The ugly scenes of confrontations between police and demonstrators are highly disturbing.

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