Gov’t silent on student mental health numbers, while Hong Kong records steep increase

Local authorities do not wish to share any figures on the number of local students who have a mental illness, the Times learned.

In response to an inquiry from the Times on the topic, following the disclosure of data in the neighboring region of Hong Kong, which points to a doubling of the incidence of this type of illness in five years, the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) said it always places a great deal of importance on the matter and has established several groups and mechanisms to monitor the mental health of local students.

Still, the bureau did not wish to disclose any statistics on the matter.

According to reports from several Hong Kong media sources, in mid-April, the number of secondary school students diagnosed with mental illness has doubled over the past five academic years, from 660 cases in the 2020-21 school year to 1,330 in the 2024-25 school year.

The data, collected by the Hong Kong Health Bureau (HBHK) and analyzed by the HK education authorities (EDB), also notes that the actual figure may be even higher due to the reluctance among some students and parents to disclose health information.

The EDB also said that the data collected are in line with a general trend recorded by the HBHK, which shows a growing number of people aged between 15 and 24 years old being treated at psychiatric departments of public hospitals.

According to the same data, and for the given age range, the conditions or illnesses that cause the most concern were bipolar disorder (+57% over five years) and depression (+43% over five years).

According to a report from HK media outlet South China Morning Post, the Secretary for Education, Christine Choi Yuk-lin, justified the rising figures not just by a growing number of cases but also by a “growing acceptance” among families of the issue and greater population awareness.

She added that the surge in students diagnosed with mental illness “partly reflects parents’ growing acceptance and openness about the issue, while academic pressures, social lives, and physical health also play a role.”

Choi also revealed that, in primary schools, the number of students diagnosed with mental illness also rose from 130 in 2020-21 to 200 in 2024-25, a 54% increase.

Such concerns are not new, as a document reviewed by the Times and issued by the Research Office (Education) of the Legislative Council Secretariat in 2024, which relates to a survey done in 2022 and 2023, shows concerning trends such as “deaths of students due to suicide have almost tripled in 10 years to a decade-high of 32 cases in 2023,” a figure that is drastically higher than the general rate for the whole population that, in the same period, grew by 6%.

The same document also notes that a survey conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, commissioned by the Government, found that 6.9% of students aged 6 to 17 presented suicidal behaviors in 2023, of which 1.1% had made such attempts before.

The document also claims the “situation in secondary schools was more severe than in primary schools,” remarking that “almost one quarter (24.4%) of surveyed students were diagnosed with various kinds of mental disorders.”

Among the situations described, 6.1% of the students suffered from anxiety, while another 5.4% had depression.

The survey reported 10,412 mental health cases in Hong Kong during the 2022-23 school year, accounting for about 37% of the total counseling caseload.

Situation at ‘Unis’ not better

Another academic study, titled “Mental health of Hong Kong university students: a 5.5-year trend study across the Covid-19 pandemic,” conducted by Jia-Yan Pan, Nana Wang, and Michelle Hei Yan Shum, also addressed the matter, but from the perspective of tertiary education.

Published in 2025 in the International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, the study investigated the trend of the mental health status of Hong Kong university students before and during the 2019 social movement and Covid-19 pandemic.

A total of 960 Hong Kong university students completed an online questionnaire across 11 cohorts from 2016 to 2021 as part of a trend study.

In the sample, 68.5% showed various levels of depressive symptoms, and 49.4% were identified to be at risk for developing mental health problems.

The percentage of students with various levels of depressive symptoms and at-risk cases increased from 41.5% and 24.4% in 2016 to 80% and 60% in 2021, respectively.

Overall, the study indicates that there was a deterioration of mental health from 2016 to 2021, noting also that positive thoughts, sense-making coping, and resilience functioned as significant protective factors, while negative thoughts and suicidal ideation acted as significant risk factors for various mental health outcomes.

Local data and research

In Macau, while concrete statistical data are largely lacking, some smaller-scale studies might help shed light on the situation.
In 2025, the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) and the General Association of Chinese Students of Macau (AECM) jointly released a report on the “Survey on the Mental Health of Secondary Students in Macao,” conducted with a sample of 1,017 students.

The findings were presented by Victor Hoi, Education Officer of AECM, and Jayson Lou, project monitor and the coordinator of the Master of Social Work Program at USJ, revealing that anxiety and emotional distress warranted public attention.

The report noted that some students expressed dissatisfaction with their sleep quality and believed that sleep problems had impacted their daily lives, while also stating that their “stress” stemmed primarily from academic work, exams, and further studies, followed by interpersonal relationships and self-imposed demands.

The study also found that 40% of respondents experienced mild to moderate anxiety, while 6% experienced moderate to severe anxiety.

Male students also performed better than female students on several psychological indicators, including life satisfaction, anxiety, personal endurance, and cohesion, and reported better sleep quality.

The research team recommended that schools and parents reduce the need for exam-based instruction, increase students’ rest and exercise time, promote mental health education and crisis identification training, and encourage them to express their feelings and make full use of their rest time.

Furthermore, the same study recommended that the government continue to devote resources to promoting students’ physical and mental health.

DSEDJ claims to support all cases

In their response to the Times, the DSEDJ said it has “always placed great emphasis on students’ physical and mental health, and has continued to strengthen the local school mental health support network.”

Among the measures to strengthen support for local schools is the assistance provided to establish a Working Group on Physical and Mental Health at School and developing instruments such as the Student Mental Health Identification Form and operating guidelines, the bureau said, noting that these “increase school personnel’s awareness and sensitivity to students in need, enabling early identification and intervention to support these students.”

Furthermore, the DSEDJ remarked that it had established a regular working mechanism with services including student counseling agencies, social work organizations, and medical institutions.

“When students encounter different frustrations or challenges as they grow or in their daily lives, they are provided with counseling support and appropriate assistance,” DSEDJ added, explaining that, “where necessary, cases are referred to suitable community resources for further follow-up, depending on actual circumstances.”

The bureau also stated that, in cases of “students with emotional or mental health needs,” the DSEDJ will coordinate with counseling agencies to arrange medical services through the Health Bureau’s Green Channel.