Hong Kong suicide rate for children under 15 hit historical high last year with 11 victims
- Change in learning environment was partly to blame because students struggled to adapt to online classes and new routine, education psychologist says
- Younger students missed out on forming intimate relationships with peers and teachers, according to expert
The suicide rate of children under the age of 15 hit a historical high in Hong Kong last year with 11 young people taking their lives, an increase that experts partially attributed to learning disruptions caused by class suspensions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Based on data from the Coroner’s Court, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention found the rate of residents under 15 who had taken their own lives in 2021 rose to 1.7 deaths per every 100,000 people, compared with 1.2 deaths in 2020 and 0.9 in 2019.
The suicide rate for residents in the 15 to 24 age bracket also rose from 8.6 in 2020 to 9.3 last year, with cases involving women in this demographic up from 4.4 in 2019 to 6.5 last year.
In the past academic year, four students aged 12 or under and 28 others aged 13 to 18 killed themselves.
“The number of suicides among youth, especially those who are 15 or below, has become more concerning during the coronavirus pandemic,” said Professor Yip Siu-fai, the director of the centre at the University of Hong Kong.