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.”

He was speaking as the centre and Suicide Prevention Services, a non-governmental organisation, joined forces to try and cut the rate in the run-up to World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10.

The suicide risk for the unemployed in the 15-24 age group was 15.5 times higher than for young people and 4.37 times higher for the less educated compared with those better educated.

Young people with an education to secondary school level or below in the age group accounted for almost 67 per cent of suicides.

More than 21 per cent in the 15-24 age group were unemployed last year.

Yip said a job was not only important because it provided a regular income, but also for the self-esteem of young people.

“We are very worried whether the suicide rate will increase whenever unemployment is high,” he said.

The centre estimated that, across all age groups, 14.5 people in 100,000 killed themselves in 2022, a 17.9 per cent increase over the previous year.

Suicide Prevention Services said its 24-hour hotline handled 136,957 calls in 2022 – more than 10,000 a month.

May was the peak month, with 12,720 calls handled. The hotline dealt with 82,070 calls between January and last month, a similar rate to last year.

About 27 per cent of calls were linked to mental health problems- up from just over 10 per cent in 2020.

Employment status and financial problems accounted for 16 per cent of calls.

Vincent Ng Chi-kwan, executive director of Suicide Prevention Services, said some loan companies preyed on young people who had poor financial knowledge and “lent irresponsibly” to them.

“We have seen suicide notes that said they could not repay the amount of money they borrowed from these companies. If they died, these companies would not be able to go after them any more,” Ng said. “It’s very disheartening.”

One man helped by the hotline, who identified himself only as “Fishball”, said he had suffered from depression for almost 30 years without realising emotions could cause illness, which led to “a very messy life with no social interactions and financial struggles”.

“It felt like it didn’t matter whether I continued to exist in the world,” he said.

He added his poor communication skills meant it was tough for him to find a job and that colleagues would isolate him after they learned about his depression.

“I had lunch by myself for 2½ years during my three years at a call centre because my colleagues found out about my mental illness,” Fishball said.

But he added he had now found a job at the service that had helped him.

He added it had helped develop a sense of self-worth and that he was grateful for a workplace that allowed him to choose how many days a week to work as he worked on easing his way back into society.

The two groups appealed to the government and the public to help improve the mental health of young people through training programmes to develop social skills.

They also asked for a crackdown on money lenders to stop predatory practices and for the creation of workplace cultures designed to reduce stigma.

The experts added that non-academic achievements should also be valued and that young people’s mental health should be supported at home and in their education.