‘Provide mental health support to students early’

Executive Councillor Lam Ching-choi sounded the alarm on youth mental health in Hong Kong on Saturday.Speaking at an event, Lam, who chairs the Advisory Committee on Mental Health, said previous studies by the committee had found that one-fourth of primary students and one-sixth of secondary and university students faced mental health challenges.

He underscored that the issue must be addressed early in life.

“The reason to allocate a lot of resources to youth work is simple, and it is evidence-based, that 90 percent of mental illnesses are developed before 21 years old,” Lam said.

“If we do a good job in addressing the needs of young people, the psychological burden for adults can be relieved,” he added.

Lam said it is important for the medical sector, teachers and social workers, to coordinate and provide mental support to students in school, as there were a lot of unsuccessful referrals to other institutions in the past.

He also said people from all walks of life can take part in mental health training to help themselves and others, as people may face mental health issues in their lives.