HONG KONG: The suicide fee of kids beneath the age of 15 hit a historic excessive in Hong Kong final yr with 11 younger individuals taking their lives, a rise that consultants partially attributed to studying disruptions attributable to class suspensions as a result of Covid-19 pandemic.
Primarily based on Coroner’s Courtroom information, the Hong Kong Jockey Membership Centre for Suicide Analysis and Prevention discovered the suicide fee of youth aged 15 or beneath in 2021 rose to 1.7 deaths per each 100,000 individuals, in contrast with 1.2 deaths in 2020 and zero.9 in 2019.
Amongst those that took their very own lives within the educational yr of 2021-22, 4 had been aged 12 or beneath and the remaining 28 college students had been between 13 and 18.
The suicide fee for 15 to 24-year-olds additionally rose from eight.6 in 2020 to 9.three final yr, with circumstances involving females on this age group up from four.four in 2019 to six.5 final yr.
“The variety of suicides amongst youth, particularly those that are 15 or beneath, has grow to be extra regarding throughout the coronavirus pandemic,” stated Professor Yip Siu-fai, the director of the centre on the College of Hong Kong.
The centre additional analysed 36 pupil circumstances between January 2021 and June 2022 based mostly on data from police, together with suicide notes.
Among the many 36 circumstances, one was in major college, 75% had been secondary college college students and eight had been tertiary or college college students.
Greater than 26% of those circumstances talked about educational stress of their suicide notes, whereas 7.9% had been elite college students who stated they had been nervous they may not end their homework or felt exhausted by exams. One other 5.2% of them had been college students who studied overseas and returned to Hong Kong.
9 of the scholars dedicated suicide on campus, comprising one major college pupil, six who attended secondary college and two college college students.
Kenus Leung pui-yee, an schooling psychologist on the centre, stated the rise in pupil suicides was partially tied to educational efficiency, as kids wanted to adapt to many modifications of their studying atmosphere throughout the pandemic.
She stated the transition from face-to-face to on-line courses precipitated adjustment points for college kids, whereas a mixed-learning mode due to frequent modifications attributable to social-distancing restrictions disrupted the tempo of studying and college students’ focus.
Whereas most faculties resumed half-day in-person courses in September, the curriculum was designed for full day instructing, Leung stated.
“The packed schedule of studying supplies must be squeezed into the shortened instructing interval,” she stated. “College students may really feel much more confused.”
She urged the Training Bureau to overview the present curriculum for secondary schooling and alter the training tempo for college kids, leaving a while for them to “take a break”.
Yip stated that for youthful college students, colleges had been locations to develop social abilities and intimate relationships with friends and lecturers.
“The coronavirus pandemic has decreased the time for children to kind peer-bonding in school,” he stated.
Yip added that in different international locations, college suspensions had been the final measure for pandemic management, however in Hong Kong, it was the primary.
He urged mother and father to get their kids totally vaccinated in order that they may spend extra time in school, “which is healthier for his or her psychological well being”.
Florence Cheung Fung-yee, a licensed counsellor, added that folks additionally wanted to offer constructive feelings and assist for his or her kids by empowering household relationships and speaking to them extra.
“Households and colleges ought to cooperate to assist youthful generations develop higher psychological well being,” she stated.
General, the centre estimated the suicide fee in Hong Kong final yr was 12.three, which was increased than the 12.1 recorded in 2020.
After adjusting for the age construction of the world inhabitants, the speed grew to become 9, the identical as the newest obtainable world one.
The centre additionally famous the suicide fee of older individuals had at all times been increased than that of different age teams, with males aged 60 or above displaying a big enhance, from 24.three in 2020 to 27.three in 2021, in contrast with the slight lower for aged ladies, from 14.9 in 2020 to 14.6 in 2021.
