Heather Yeung, 20, is one of the seven founding members of the Hong Kong Student Alliance on Student Suicide, which was formed one year ago. Their goal is to give students a voice in the conversation about suicide prevention in Hong Kong.

Last year, 1092 people took their own lives in Hong Kong. That’s a ten-year high according to Samaritans Hong Kong. Of those, 7.2 percent were aged between 10 and 19, which has reached the highest in eight years.
The Hong Kong Student Alliance on Student Suicide set up a booth with the theme “How far are we from suicide?” on World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10 in front of Mong Kok MTR station Exit D1.“The idea of holding a street information booth is to plant a seed in the hearts of passersby,” Heather said.
Passersby added their views on the topic by posting sticky notes. There are 339 participants polled in the special interactive ballot box named “Your distance from suicide”, 72.6 percent said they had been exposed to suicide. She expressed her hopes that this initiative could raise awareness of the taboo topic in Hong Kong. “There is only so much we can do at this stage,” she added.
Din Wai-bun, 53, is a lecturer at the Department of Social Work at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. “The deep-rooted traditional concept of ‘winning at the starting line’ is repeating a vicious circle over and over again, which has also brought about the emergence of the suicide epidemic,” he said.
“Parents, schools, society, and students have been instilled with the concept that being elite and successful is the only way to survive,” Din said. “But the few always win at the starting line.”

According to the 2023 Hong Kong School Children Happiness Annual Survey conducted by Lingnan University, Hong Kong school children’s assessment of “Life is worth living” has fallen to the lowest since 2017, which dropped from 7.27 to 6.74.
Based on the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups report published in 2024, of some 6,000 middle school students surveyed, over 40% said they had a high level of stress. Chan Ying-kit, the director of the group, said that the survey revealed mental health problems local youths are facing, including their low motivation to seek help and insufficient awareness of services, which made it difficult to diagnose potential mental health problems promptly.

Since December 2023, a Three-Tier School-based Emergency Mechanism has been enforced in all secondary schools in Hong Kong by the Education Bureau, aiming to help schools identify students at risk of suicide and provide early support. In this year’s policy address, Chief Executive John Lee vowed to extend and improve the three-tier system and create a new online emotional support platform, which is set to be introduced in the second quarter of next year.
As of September, the government-led emergency system identified about 200 vulnerable pupils while about a dozen high-risk students have been referred for psychiatric help.
Din said the negative label on mental health issues is problematic. “Even parents are reluctant to let their children see a psychiatrist for fear it would negatively affect their children’s future,” he said.
“The flaw in this system is that whenever a student shows signs of suicidal behaviour, it is directly defined as mentally unhealthy and sent to a psychiatric hospital to be prescribed medication,” Din said. “Sometimes students just need a window to release their negative feelings.”
Yeung agrees. “Further intervention by the government will certainly bring positive changes. We are glad to see more people committed to tackling youth suicide,” she said. But she thinks the emergency mechanism is merely a solution after the problem occurs. “What we need are proactive measures.”

Lisa Ho, 35, a clinical psychologist at the HKU HKJC Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, emphasized the importance of fostering a sense of connection and happiness within schools. She highlighted the school’s commitment to cultivating a more joyful campus that prioritises a nurturing environment over mere academic performance or grades.

Given these ongoing efforts, Yeung stressed the importance of recognising and supporting students by focusing on suicide prevention rather than reactionary measures.
Din advocates for patients to listen to positive and negative thoughts, stressing the detrimental effects of suppressing emotions. “If they don’t express themselves, they end up swallowing their emotions, leading to suppression and increased emotional distress,” he said.
Highlighting the need for empathy in society, Din suggests that sometimes all people need is a listening ear to release negativity.
Where to get help:
24-hour Samaritans multi-lingual Suicide Prevention hotline: +852 2896 0000
24-hour hotline at Suicide Prevention Services: +852 2382 0000
24-hour hotline at Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong: +852 2389 2222
Society for the Promotion of Hospice Care: +852 2868 1211 For other hotlines, refer to the Hong Kong Council of Social Service
《The Young Reporter》
The Young Reporter (TYR) started as a newspaper in 1969. Today, it is published across multiple media platforms and updated constantly to bring the latest news and analyses to its readers.

Canto slang connects Gen Zers in Hong Kong

Knowledge meets cocktails: How academic bars in Shenzhen blend intellectual pursuits with social drinking
Comments