Hong Kong, together with the majority of the world consider those from age 15 – 24 as its youth.
More than half of the young population suffers from depressive symptoms and there is a significant presence of anxiety disorder as well, particularly in young adults nearing the age of adulthood. Cases of suicide and at-risk students see a steady increase in numbers.
Despite being the golden years for learning and preparation for adulthood, 75% of mental disorder symptoms start its onset before the age of 24. Studies from previous years show that Hong Kong adolescents have relatively lower levels of mental health compared to their counterparts from other countries.
Social Unrest 2019-2020
The social and political unrest was a particularly stressful time for Hong Kong in general. The youth who are relying on adults for security is affected due to the threat to their quality of life and their well-being. Not long after, the pandemic broke out and another challenge was in need of full attention.
Covid Pandemic 2020-2022
The pandemic had a huge impact on the youth’s mental health. The anxiety through those difficult times was a huge burden for young adults. University students, in particular, had it rough due to mandatory lockdowns when they are forced to stay in dorms, limiting emotional support from their families.
Financial difficulties also became an issue since the switch from face-to-face interactions to online learning sessions need additional funds for internet connection and digital devices.
Inconsistent policies were a problem for social and emotional freedom. At the age when they should be exploring, the situation doesn’t allow them to. This does not only deprive them of valuable life experience but adds more pressure on their mental health.
Efforts for a Solution
The Hong Kong government employed a multi-level care model for their youth in response to the ongoing crisis. It consists of three levels in total, with each level catering to youths depending on the severity of their condition. The basic process includes general prevention, assessment, and intervention.
Although the model was designed to handle each stage using different levels of assessment and intervention process, there have been reports of disproportionately assigned cases to level three. Apparently, service gaps in the first two levels left individuals to rely on specialized intervention with is on the third tier.
The government acknowledged this issue by strengthening already existing programs and closing the gap in services available. They expanded the scope of mental health services and launched more initiatives to aid existing programs.
Individual counselling treatments will be most helpful to address a concern properly. Private institutions and counselling professionals have started to offer their services online to make it more convenient for patients to reach out.
Significance of the Youth’s Mental Health
Choosing the right approach to recovery might take time but the most important part is the desire for improvement. Targeting the youth for mental health prevention and interventions will not only benefit their age group but also directly affects the mental health of future generations.
