Number of Hong Kong secondary students with mental illness doubles in 5 years

Diagnoses of mental illness among Hong Kong secondary students have doubled in five years, with officials warning the true scale is likely even greater. | Contesto: cronaca

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• Number of Hong Kong secondary students with mental illness doubles in 5 years

Contesto

The number of secondary school students in Hong Kong diagnosed with a mental illness has doubled over the past five academic years, according to data released by the city's education authorities. Officials cautioned that the alarming increase is likely under-reported, as a reluctance among some students and parents to disclose health information means the true figure could be even higher. The statistics reveal a profound and accelerating crisis within the city's youth population, raising urgent questions about the pressures facing teenagers and the capacity of support systems to respond. This sharp rise in diagnoses among school-aged youth mirrors a broader, city-wide trend captured by the Hong Kong Health Bureau. Its data shows a consistent increase in the number of individuals aged 15 to 24 receiving treatment within psychiatric departments at public hospitals. The parallel trends between the educational and healthcare datasets suggest a systemic issue affecting late adolescents and young adults, rather than an anomaly confined to school reporting. The convergence of these figures paints a stark picture of a generation grappling with significant psychological distress. Experts point to a complex web of factors potentially driving this surge. While the data does not specify causes, the period in question has been marked by profound social upheaval, including the aftermath of major protests and the strict, prolonged public health measures enacted during the Covid-19 pandemic. The disruption to normal schooling, social isolation, and pervasive uncertainty are widely understood to have taken a heavy toll on adolescent mental well-being. Furthermore, the intensely competitive academic environment in Hong Kong, with its high-stakes examination culture, has long been cited as a source of chronic stress for students. The issue of under-reporting highlighted by authorities underscores a critical barrier to addressing the crisis. Stigma surrounding mental health remains pervasive in many communities, often viewed through a lens of personal weakness or family shame. This cultural reluctance to seek help or acknowledge problems means many young people suffer in silence...

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Categoria: cronaca