Depression, anxiety rife among university students in Hong Kong as academic pressure, career worries and social media take toll
Those at risk tend to be disadvantaged and face discrimination, and also find their studies difficult, researchers say
Close to seven in 10 Hong Kong undergraduates show symptoms of depression while more than half suffer from anxiety, a study has found.
The researchers, medical students from the University of Hong Kong, said the results from more than 1,100 undergraduates who were surveyed in September and October two years ago were higher than for a similar survey 10 years ago.
Those at risk of depression and anxiety tended to be disadvantaged and faced discrimination, and also found their studies difficult.
A team from HKU’s Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine conducted the study, published in the latest issue of the Hong Kong Medical Journal, to investigate the underlying rates of depression and anxiety in university students.