Post-pandemic challenges main cause of rise in suicides among Hong Kong primary and secondary pupils, education chief says
- At least 28 pupils have taken their own lives so far this year, marking 12 per cent increase over all of 2022
- ‘It is believed that the upwards trend may be affected by the pandemic and the greater challenges facing students after the return to normality,’ Christine Choi says
Suicides among Hong Kong primary and secondary school pupils have been on the rise, education authorities have found, citing the challenges of returning to pre-pandemic normality as the main factor.
The number of suspected suicide cases reported by all primary and secondary schools in the city stood at 25 in 2022, 25 in 2021 and 21 in 2020, Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin told the Legislative Council on Wednesday.
But the city has logged at least 28 student suicides so far this year, including one that was reported by the media in November. The figure represents an increase of 12 per cent compared with the whole of last year.
“It is believed that the upwards trend may be affected by the pandemic and the greater challenges facing students after the return to normality,” Choi said.
She revealed that the government had reviewed the recent suicide cases and analysed the risk factors that had emerged.
“The major risk factors are related to interpersonal relationships including family, social, relationship and personal problems, such as learning and school adjustment, depressed mood and mental illness,” the secretary said.