Rising costs in Hong Kong plunge 1 in 5 poor into despair

One in five people on low incomes in Hong Kong suffer from excessive anxiety because of inflation, and it's likely to get worse as prices climb.

The rate is three times that of those on high incomes, according to a study of 5,000 people by the Mood Disorders Centre of Chinese University. A telephone poll was conducted in the last quarter of 2011 but held for a year to monitor inflation trends. It found a close link between inflation and mental health.

The condition, if displayed for at least six months, is known as generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), with symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, irritability and difficulty concentrating.

"I've woken in the middle of a night with my heart beating wildly and had to be taken to hospital," said one woman diagnosed with the disorder in 2009. Her son supports both of them on his salary of HK$10,000 a month.

She was most worried about rising food costs. "I often go to the wet market or grocery store and leave without buying anything because it's all too expensive," she said, adding she had not eaten meat in years and only bought discounted fruit close to rotting.

During periods of high inflation, people's incomes usually cannot keep up with rising living costs. The resulting deprivation of food, goods and services, and deteriorating quality of life becomes a source of stress that breeds mental health problems, said Professor Lee Sing, director of the Mood Disorders Centre at Chinese University.