Fewer than 9% of Hongkongers know how to get help when faced with schizophrenia: survey

Survey of 850 residents finds that fewer than 9 per cent of respondents know how to get help if they or their loved ones are diagnosed with condition

Experts call for more widespread use of long-acting injectable treatments to prevent relapses in patients

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Survey also finds that only 11.3 per cent of Hongkongers understand the symptoms of serious schizophrenia such as disorganised thoughts. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 8:12pm, 28 May 2024Updated: 8:43pm, 28 May 2024

Fewer than 9 per cent of Hongkongers know how to seek help if they or their loved ones are diagnosed with serious schizophrenia, a survey has found, with experts calling for more widespread use of long-acting injectable treatments to prevent relapses in patients.

The survey of 850 residents also found that only 11.3 per cent of respondents understood the symptoms of serious schizophrenia such as disorganised thoughts, a figure that researchers said betrayed a significant lack of public awareness about the condition.

Conducted in January, the survey by the Hong Kong Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation showed that fewer than 5 per cent of Hongkongers felt current community resources for serious mental illness patients were sufficient.

This was despite government efforts to increase the number of social workers focusing on mental health and improving public awareness on the issue, following a stabbing incident at a Diamond Hill shopping centre last June that left two women dead.

According to the Hospital Authority, more than 51,000 patients suffered from serious mental illness in Hong Kong as of last year.

Experts said schizophrenia patients refusing medication faced a higher risk of relapse, but switching to a monthly injection could reduce those risks.

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