High student suicide rate only 'tip of the iceberg'

The concerning number of student suicides is only "the tip of the iceberg," former chairman of the advisory committee on mental health Wong Yan-lung said.

In the latest incident, a 20-year-old man jumped to his death in Lam Tin yesterday, with a suicide note saying he was suffering from academic problems.

His death brought the total number of students who ended their lives so far this year to 38.

Wong said it's difficult for teachers to identify students at high suicide risk and urged the government to adjust its policies so teachers can have more time to monitor students.

He was commenting on the government's "three-tier emergency mechanism" announced Friday, which applies to all secondary schools until the end of January to identify high-risk students, as well as to offer students support and counseling services.

"The number of student suicide cases is high and worrying. But the situation is only the tip of the iceberg," Wong said.

It may be hard for teachers to identify students with suicidal tendencies because they hide those feelings. "I have heard from experts that the more eager the students are to die, the less likely they are to seek help from people [surrounding them],' he said.

He also said it is crucial to first reduce teachers' workload so that they can act as gatekeepers on the first tier of the mechanism - identifying students with mental health needs at an early stage.

"For children or teenagers, what they most need is company," Wong said.

"So what should we do to make teachers less busy in rushing the curriculum and to give principals more time to comfort, accompany and listen to the students in order to find out their problems?"

Wong cited a recent survey that found eight percent of local secondary students have thoughts of committing suicide, so it was appropriate that the mechanism would target them.

Asked if the mechanism's two-month duration is too short, Wong said it is to "cope with the emergency needs."

He also said Hongkongers' mental health has deteriorated in the past few years due to major upheavals including the Covid-19 pandemic.

The community should prioritize mental health, he said, while suggesting the government establish a designated department to implement mental health policies and coordinate manpower and resources.

Meanwhile, the 20-year-old man surnamed Chan was found unconscious on the platform of Sceneway Garden in Lam Tin at around 2am yesterday by a security guard.

He was taken to United Christian Hospital in Kwun Tong where he was later certified dead.

Preliminary investigation found Chan was a resident of the estate. The cause of death is to be determined after autopsy.

Chan was a student at a local tertiary institution.