Suicide numbers among young people in Hong Kong almost double in less than a decade to record high, study finds
- Suicide rate among those aged 15-24 rises to 12.2 deaths per 100,000 people, compared with 6.2 per 100,000 in 2014
- Researchers say dramatic rise in numbers partly down to mental health problems and financial pressures, as well as added stress caused by coronavirus lockdowns
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, which examined Coroner’s Court records, found the rate for people in the 15-24 age group who had taken their own lives in 2022 rose to a record high of 12.2 deaths per 100,000 people, compared with 10 deaths in 2021 and 6.2 in 2014.
“The rising trend is worrying,” Professor Paul Yip Siu-fai, director of the centre, said on Friday.
Experts said the trend among 15- to 24-year-olds was partly caused by mental health problems and financial pressures.
Yip added that there were other possible reasons, including the closure of schools and universities over the pandemic, as 52.6 per cent of the 15-24 age group were in full-time study in 2022.
“This did not only bring them difficulties in learning,” he said. “It was also difficult for them socially, as schools are also places for students to build relationships. For some of them, it’s where they find social support and it is a refuge for them.”