Nearly 30 per cent of Hong Kong secondary school students have thought about harming or killing themselves during the current academic year, a survey has found, with its researchers encouraging authorities to step up group counselling and therapy services for pupils.
Advertisement
The survey by the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups also found that 63.5 per cent of the 2,665 students, drawn from 15 secondary schools, polled in the 2024-25 academic year had felt “down, depressed or hopeless” in the two weeks before taking part in the study.
Sandy Ma Pui-man, a supervisor with the federation, said 31.5 per cent of respondents had scored 10 or higher out of 27 in the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, which is commonly used to screen for depression, indicating the students had experienced mild to serious emotional distress.
“We think the situation is serious and quite worrying,” she said. “Compared with one in seven adults and elderly people in Hong Kong who have mental health conditions, this figure is more serious.”
The study found that 28.5 per cent of students had experienced thoughts of self-harm or suicide in the two weeks before taking part in the survey.
Advertisement
Five per cent of all respondents also said they had experienced such thoughts over a seven-day period, while another 5 per cent told researchers they had those feelings on a daily basis.