Hong Kong schools referred 168 cases of students with “severe mental health needs” to public psychiatric services between last December and this March, according to the city’s education chief, amid an upward trend in student suicides.
Psychiatric units run by the Hospital Authority (HA) received a total of 168 referrals from school principals, Secretary for Education Christine Choi told the Legislative Council (LegCo) on Wednesday. The HA also received 75 phone enquiries from schools, the minister said.
The cases were referred to the HA through a three-tier mechanism which aimed to help schools identify students at higher risk of suicide and provide early support. Among the referrals, three per cent were listed as urgent, Choi said, while around 40 per cent were categorised as semi-urgent.
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The remaining cases were considered “stable,” or were already being followed up on by HA psychiatrists.
‘Gatekeeper’ training
In an oral reply to lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen’s questions on the mental health of primary and secondary students, Choi said the Education Bureau provided online courses to school personnel last December in a bid to train them as “gatekeepers.” Around 1,000 people enrolled for the training.
The authorities also organised 40 additional training courses and workshops to equip teachers and other school staff with knowledge and skills to take care of students with mental health needs. Around 2,200 people benefited from the courses, the education chief said.
Under the second tier of the student suicide response system, the government pledged to assist schools by providing an “off-campus support network.” The initiative run by the Social Welfare Department involved five NGOs, which provided emergency intervention services and other services.
According to Choi, the Education Bureau referred a total of 69 cases to the support teams between last December and March this year. The teams also held activities promoting metal health in around 150 secondary schools since February to encourage students to seek help.
“Based on our understanding and communication with schools, with the concerted efforts of schools and various stakeholders, school personnel’s awareness on students’ mental health has enhanced in general, being able to early identify and support students with higher risk,” an English translation of Choi’s reply read.
Expand services
Social welfare sector legislator Tik suggested schools should compile a list of “high-risk” students by conducting annual surveys, and then monitor their situations using a case management method. This approach would offer a more “prudent and systematic” way of tackling students’ mental health issues, he said.
Another lawmaker Lillian Kwok asked whether the government would consider expanding off-campus assistance by offering art therapy, music therapy and game therapy to address the “semi-urgent” needs of students.
There has been growing alarm over rising youth suicides since the academic year began last September. The city recorded a decade-high number of suspected student suicides last year, 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.
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