Stereotyping and discriminating against people with mental illness could be unlawful, equality watchdog says

Executive Director of the Equal Opportunities Commission Ferrick Chu Chung-man said on Monday that actions that incite people to stereotype and discriminate against people with mental illness could violate the city’s anti-discrimination Ordinances.

His comments came after the recent Diamond Hill murder case, in which the suspect was diagnosed as suffering from mental illness.

Speaking on a radio program this morning, Chu said the public should not stigmatize mental illness, and that mental illness does not necessarily mean violence.

He said environmental factors played a huge part in people’s mental state and people should not “add fuel to the flames”, instead, people should help patients integrate into society.

The watchdog chief also said the office has noticed more people engaging in stereotyping of people suffering from mental illness online, reminding the public that incitement of discrimination could be unlawful.

His views were echoed by Eric Chen Yu-hai, the chair professor in the University of Hong Kong's psychiatry department, who said the tragedy was an isolated case.

He noted that sometimes government clinics may not have sufficient resources to flag problematic patients.

Chen said doctors in the public sector may only have a few minutes to talk to their patients, which is difficult for them to detect abnormalities.

He suggested authorities partner with the private sector to transfer some of their mild cases to district health centers or private clinics.

He added that most patients can fully recover from their mental illness after seeking medical attention and called on people to stop stereotyping them.