Prologue Journal

Almost half of Hong Kong secondary school students may not seek help over mental distress, survey finds

• prologu5
• 09/23/202409/23/2024

Hong Kong Free Press

Close to half of Hong Kong secondary school students in Hong Kong have said they would not necessarily seek help when facing mental health issues, a survey conducted by a non-governmental youth organisation has found.

Students who were less willing to ask for assistance showed significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, and had “notably poorer” resilience and heath status, the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong (YMCA) said on Sunday when releasing the results of student mental health literacy survey.

YMCA surveyed 826 Hong Kong Island secondary school students between July and August. More than half of the respondents said they felt tense, anxious and irritable over the past two weeks and were unable to stop or control their anxiety.

Using a simplified patient health questionnaire, YMCA researchers also assessed the psychological health of the surveyed students and found that 30.6 per cent were experiencing symptoms of depression.

A quarter of respondents were found to be in a state of anxiety based on their responses to a generalised anxiety disorder survey incorporated in YMCA’s study.

In the survey, the students were asked to respond to the statement “If I had mental health issues, I would seek help.” A total of 46.9 per cent said they were “neutral” or “did not know.”

More than 20 per cent of students said they would not turn to someone for help when experiencing mental distress. More than 40 per cent said they were willing to share their feelings with their peers and friends, but only 28.5 per cent said they were willing to do so with adults.

“The survey results are undoubtedly a warning sign, reflecting that many students lack understanding of their mental health status, feel lonely and helpless when facing mental health issues, and lack confidence in seeking help,” Li To-sang, executive secretary of YMCA, said in Cantonese.

The NGO called on Chief Executive John Lee to regularise the three-tier emergency mechanism in his upcoming policy address next month. The city’s leader should also set up a special fund for supporting the psychological health of students and subsidise those with early signs of mental distress to seek treatment or counselling, YMCA said.

See also: ‘Actually I am not happy’: Hong Kong seeks new strategies to stem rise in student suicides

The three-tier mechanism was rolled out last December after the number of suspected student suicides reached a 10-year high, with the Education Bureau receiving 31 reports in the first 11 months of 2023. Local health authorities revealed that more than 1,800 Hongkongers under the age of 18 had been diagnosed with depression at public healthcare facilities in 2022-23.

The cross-departmental effort aimed to help schools identify students at higher risk of suicide and provide early support. In January, the government announced that the mechanism, which was set to expire that month, would be extended to the end of December.

On Sunday, Li said teenagers were concerned that they would be judged or labelled if they shared their mental distress. Some students also had difficulty building trusting relationships with adults that would allow them to be candid about their personal feelings.

Hong Kong schools and youth service groups should promote “diverse treatment” for students, including music therapy, expressive art therapy, and drama therapy, YMCA suggested. Such an approach would allow students to understand treatment methods beyond medicine, and help combat stigma and encourage students to reach out for help, the NGO said.

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https://hongkongfp.com/2024/09/23/almost-half-of-hong-kong-secondary-school-students-may-not-seek-help-over-mental-distress-survey-finds/