Hong Kong’s soaring elderly suicides spark calls to help isolated older men who are most at risk

Hong Kong needs suicide-prevention services for older men, the most vulnerable group in the city’s soaring statistics for elderly suicide. Experts called for gender-specific help for older men in society who might be isolated, unwilling to open up to others about their feelings, or struggling to cope with poor health or loneliness. There were 282 suicides involving people aged 70 and over last year, with men outnumbering women by 168 to 114. They made up more than a quarter of the 1,080 suicides recorded, which took a 10-year trend of suicides among the elderly to a record high, according to the suicide prevention organisation Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong, which analysed Coroner’s Court figures. “Traditionally, men like to act strong and do not talk about their emotions. They tend to swallow the stress, instead of opening up,” said Clarence Tsang Chin-kwok, the organisation’s executive director. Men with suicidal thoughts were more comfortable calling the group’s hotlines, instead of attending face-to-face counselling, he explained. Tsang said elderly men often felt a sense of loss and frustration as they struggled to adapt to a decline in physical and mental capacity and the shift in family roles after retirement. “They were often the family breadwinners and had the biggest say, but when they retired and no longer had an income, they felt a loss of status,” he said. “Their abilities decline, but their self-esteem remains very high.” Hong Kong to face shortage of 60,000 residences for the elderly by 2032: JLL Elderly suicide prevention programmes, including community visits to the elderly, was an area the organisation focused on, but Tsang said it could not provide gender-specific services because of government funding restrictions. He said Hong Kong needed more education to remove the stigma around men’s mental health problems. He also appealed to young people to be more patient with distressed parents, but added that he hoped men would learn to open up. Last year’s total deaths made for a suicide rate of 14.73 per 100,000 people – the highest since 2007. There were 477 suicides involving people aged 60 and above, the highest since 1973. A total of 287 of them were men. Professor Paul Yip Siu-fai, director of the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), said the figures for elderly people had stayed high because of the city’s rapidly ageing population and long life expectancy. He said the city’s older people were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which had left them fearful and vulnerable because so many elderly became ill and died. “People are living longer, but not necessarily healthier,” Yip said. “They suffered physically and were overlooked mentally.” The wave of emigration of younger people over recent years had also resulted in loneliness among older family members left behind, he added. Crystal Yuen Shuk-yan, a community organiser for the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO), said the most vulnerable were those who lived alone or with only their spouse. She added elderly men, unlike older women, were reluctant to ask for help, hardly ever joined community activities and were isolated. Yuen suggested more targeted community services and activities for men, as many available activities such as drama and arts classes appealed more to women. She said SoCO had organised classes to teach elderly residents how to use smartphones which made it easier for them to search for information online and seek help, and that the organisation planned to organise more tech-related activities which men might like. Associate professor Paul Wong Wai-ching, a clinical psychologist at HKU’s department of social work and social administration, agreed that having more gender-specific community services could help to engage men more. “If you provide a men-only setting, they would be more willing to open up and accept the services,” he said. He suggested improved outreach services to visit elderly men who were “hidden” – living alone without family and community support, and said that pet therapy could also help isolated older people. “They may not be interested in meeting new people, but the presence of a dog could sometimes trigger childhood memories and make them very happy, and look forward to visits,” he explained. Hong Kong ageing faster than expected, sparking fears over healthcare in future Experts and social workers said existing community help was too sporadic and lacked focus. Social welfare lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen appealed to government bureaus, district services and community care teams, as well as property management companies, to compile information on elderly residents, offer emotional support and refer those who needed help to other services. Yip said the authorities should look harder for the city’s most vulnerable, including elderly residents who lived alone or without community networks for support. “The safety net for the elderly should be woven more densely,” he said. If you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who is experiencing them, help is available. In Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.

Hong Kong’s soaring elderly suicides spark calls to help isolated older men who are most at risk

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Men outnumbered women by 168 to 114 in suicides among over-70s last year More targeted efforts needed, as elderly men stay away from community activities, avoid seeking help

Men outnumbered women by 168 to 114 in suicides among over-70s last year

More targeted efforts needed, as elderly men stay away from community activities, avoid seeking help