Peer network pushed amid 'shocking' suicide cases

Toby Ng

A peer-support network should be set up to help prevent students from committing suicide, says Advisory Committee on Mental Health member Eric Chen Yu-hai.

A total of 306 suicide-linked cases among students - including attempted suicides - have been recorded so far this year, according to the Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention.

Of the 306 cases 37 did end in tragedy.

Chen said it is "shocking" that some students are thinking about suicide. He added: "There have been reports indicating that the mental health of students is in a critical state - with many having suicidal thoughts and some even having suicidal plans."

But he said the proposed "three-tier emergency mechanism" to identify high-risk students would be ineffective.

The Health Bureau, Education Bureau and Social Welfare Department are currently studying the establishment of a school-based three-tier system to identify high-risk students, including identification by teachers, the government matching social workers with schools and having the Hospital Authority prioritize severe cases.

"A similar measure was introduced in Hong Kong in 2016, but it only had a short-term effect," Chen said. "Due to insufficient manpower, there has been a resurgence of student suicides, indicating that the three-tier system [would be] ineffective."

He believes there needs to be a hard campaign to establish a peer-support network, starting at the grassroots level.

Tik Chi-yuen, a Legislative Council member and the social welfare sector representative, said the earlier measure gradually faded due to a lack of regular implementation.

He said the government should conduct a large-scale survey in primary and secondary schools, allowing class teachers to identify students at risk and then make referrals. Tik said he had contacted the Education Bureau and received a positive response.

Legco education panel member Lillian Kwok Ling-lai said front-line teachers who have long-term contact with students are more likely to identify students at risk and make referrals to the second tier.

She believes the government could strengthen support at the second tier, such as increasing positions at mental health service centers to support schools.

In some countries, students receive art or game therapy to help those with mental health risks release emotional stress, she said, but no such professionals exist within the Hong Kong government structure.

toby.ng@singtaonewscorp.com