HK leader pledges bold steps for mental health with a goal of zero suicide cases
發佈日期: 2025-09-20 20:40
TVB News
Chief Executive John Lee's latest Policy Address includes over ten new measures to improve mental health, including extending a three-tier emergency response system to upper primary school students. The city leader says he hopes the city's suicide rate can drop to zero.
He also criticises the influence of online content on youth, stressing the need to strengthen positive thinking from multiple angles.
In recent years, a growing number of students and caregivers have struggled with mental strain.
In the latest Policy Address, Chief Executive John Lee says mental health has been a concern of his administration, with a rollout of eleven measures.
Among them, turning the three-tier emergency mechanism into a permanent policy and extending it to Primary Four to Six pupils.
Lee said after two years of trial, the mechanism has proved useful, allowing schools to identify students in need of help at an earlier stage.
Speaking on a radio programme, Lee says upper primary school is a bridge to secondary school life.
He notes that it's hard to regulate the internet with cyberbullying and some harmful content, which can push young minds in the wrong direction, so he hopes to help teenagers overcome the challenges.
With Hong Kong's suicide rate on the rise over the past two years, Lee has unveiled a pilot program to train "mental health ambassadors."
His hope is that every community can develop committed individuals able to spot those in need more quickly.
"The target should be zero cases of suicide," Lee said.
He says one crisis case was averted thanks to the help of a property management staff who noticed an elderly tenant who hadn't left the apartment for a long time.
He says with more training to build that safety net, more people should know when to step in at critical moments.
As for whether a new central agency with higher-level of coordination efforts is needed, such as a mental health authority, Lee says the existing system with the Mental Health Advisory Committee is functioning, and the next step will be to strengthen performance further.
