Hong Kong reports surge

Hong Kong’s Education Bureau says the number of secondary students reported with mental illness has doubled in five school years, and officials say the true figure is likely higher. (scmp.com) The bureau told lawmakers that recorded cases in secondary schools rose from 660 in the 2020-21 school year to 1,330 in 2024-25. Primary school cases also increased, from 130 to 200 over the same period. (youngpostclub.com) Education officials said some parents and students still do not want schools to pass their health information to the government, which means the official count may miss cases already known at school level. (youngpostclub.com) The increase is concentrated in mainstream schools that serve more students with special educational needs, a category that covers learning, developmental and mental health conditions. Ming Pao reported that public mainstream primary and secondary schools had more than 71,000 students with special educational needs in 2025-26, up 26.7 percent from six years earlier. (mingpao.com) That same Ming Pao report said secondary students with mental illness in mainstream public schools reached 1,580 in 2025-26, up 1.4 times from six years earlier. School leaders told the paper that more parents now agree to assessments, which can raise reported numbers even when underlying need was previously hidden. (mingpao.com) The school data tracks a wider rise in demand for psychiatric care among young people. Hong Kong figures cited by the South China Morning Post show the number of people aged 15 to 24 receiving psychiatric services in public hospitals climbed from 21,800 in 2021-22 to 31,500 in 2025-26, the fastest increase of any age group. (scmp.com) Lawmakers have pressed the government after a separate Legislative Council research paper said student suicide deaths in Hong Kong reached 32 cases in 2023, the highest level in at least a decade. In a written reply dated April 16, Education Secretary Christine Choi said the government was promoting a “Whole School Approach” and expanding support for students at risk. (info.gov.hk) One of those measures, the Three-tier School-based Emergency Mechanism, became a regular arrangement in all secondary schools on December 1, 2025, after first being introduced as a temporary response. The Education Bureau’s mental health portal says the same mechanism is being tried in upper primary grades through August 31, 2026. (mentalhealth.edb.gov.hk) Outside government, social service groups are reporting strain around exam years. A Hong Kong Council of Social Service survey released on May 12, 2025 found 41.9 percent of 1,017 Form 5 and Form 6 students showed symptoms of depression or anxiety, and 31.8 percent reported insomnia symptoms. (hkcss.org.hk) Hong Kong officials are also revisiting how screens and social media affect children. The Department of Health says it set up an advisory group in October 2025 to review evidence and update health recommendations, as schools and hospitals report more students needing help. (studenthealth.gov.hk)