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Children in Hong Kong Committed Suicide at Record Rates in 2021

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suicide hong kong

Researchers in Hong Kong report that children are committed suicide at record rates in 2020-2021 over academic stress and pressure.

According to experts, some of the increase in suicides among children under 15 in Hong Kong last year was caused by class suspensions due to Covid-19.

A study by Hong Kong’s Suicide Research and Prevention found that the suicide rate among youth aged 15 or below rose to 1.7 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. As compared to 1.2 deaths in 2020 and 0.9 deaths in 2019, this is an increase from 1.2 deaths in 2020.

Four of the students who took their own lives in 2021-22 were aged 12 or younger, while 28 were aged 13-18.

In addition, suicides among 15-24-year-olds increased from 8.6 in 2020 to 9.3 last year, with females in this age group up from 4.4 in 2019 to 6.5.

According to Professor Yip Siu-fai, director of the center at the University of Hong Kong, “the number of suicides among youth, especially those under 15, has increased during the Coronavirus pandemic.”

Suicide statistics analysis of 36 student cases was done by the center between January 2021 and June 2022 based on information provided by police, including suicide notes.

suicide hong kong

A primary school student was among the 36 cases, 75% were secondary school students, and eight were university students.

Academic stress was mentioned in over 26% of these suicide notes, while 7.9% were elite students who worried they couldn’t finish their homework or felt overwhelmed by exams. The rest of them studied abroad before returning to Hong Kong.

One primary school student, six secondary school students, and two university students committed suicide on campus.

According to Kenus Leung pui-yee, an education psychologist at the center, the increase in student suicides was partly linked to academic performance, since children had to adapt to many changes in their learning environment during the pandemic.

The transition from face-to-face to online classes caused students to have adjustment issues, and the constant changes caused by social-distancing restrictions disrupted the pace of learning and students’ concentration.

In September, most schools resumed half-day in-person classes, but the curriculum was designed for full-day classes.

“The packed agenda of learning materials needs to be squeezed into a shorter time frame,” she said. Stress might be even greater for students.”

In her remarks, she urged the Education Bureau to review secondary education’s curriculum and adjust the pace for students to give them time to “take a break”.

According to Yip, schools are places where young students develop relationships with peers and teachers and learn social skills.

In the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak, young people are less likely to form friendships at school, he said.

child suicide hong kong

As Yip noted, in other countries, school suspensions were the last measure of pandemic control, but in Hong Kong, they were the first.

To improve their mental health, he said parents should make sure that their children are fully vaccinated so that they can spend more time at school.

Stress counselor Florence Cheung Fung-yee emphasized that parents must empower family relationships and talk to their children more to ensure their children receive positive emotions and support.

Parents and schools need to work together to improve mental health among children, she said.

Hong Kong’s Suicide Research and Prevention estimated that 12.3 people committed suicide in Hong Kong, which was higher than 12.1 reported in 2020.

When adjusted for the age structure of the global population, the rate matched the most recent world rate of nine.

Moreover, the center noted that the suicide rate among older people has always been higher than that among other age groups, with men over 60 showing an increase from 24.3 in 2020 to 27.3 in 2021, compared to a slight decrease in suicide rates for elderly women, from 14.9 in 2020 to 14.6 in 2021.

This month is National Suicide Prevention Month. This campaign promotes suicide prevention by creating awareness and encouraging people to take action. In the United States, suicide rates are staggeringly high.

In the United States, suicides are twice as common as homicides. Suicides claim the lives of about 130 Americans each day. Among young adults and adolescents, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death.

In addition to reducing this risk factor, there are other measures that can be learned about suicide prevention.

The risk of suicide decreases rather than increases when people learn and talk about suicide methods. It is also critical to encourage someone to seek mental health care and never promise to keep a suicidal thought a secret.

Source: SCMP

 

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