Hong Kong: Depression and Suicide at an All-Time High

Morale is shot as the youth face depressive tendencies in an emotionally indelicate society

The beautiful and scary truth of the youth is that they are impressionable. Their minds are sponges, soaking in everything the world has to offer. But the world can be a cruel place at times. What happens when these children do not have the mechanism and emotional know-how to surpass these struggles? To make matters worse, what if it is ingrained in the culture of the youth’s environment? How does one escape that?

There has been a startling increase in suicidal activity among the youth in Hong Kong. There is a suicide happening every 9.3 days with children ranging from 13 to 24 years old. For every loss of life, 50 failed suicide attempts have been made. It is truly heartbreaking to witness individuals who have not truly lived yet in such a rush to end their lives. What makes these children so prone to depression, and when left untreated, suicide?

It can be chalked up into one word: Expectations.

Often, society imparts unrealistic expectations on the youth. This can be relayed through the media, the government— geez, even the people in your own home. Parents communicate certain standards to their children that they must live by. This results in the offspring potentially losing their identity. What’s worse is that along with the loss of self, they must face disappointment in store for them from their peers. Here comes the concept of “not being enough” which can be destructive in a child’s mind.

The pressure of fitting in, being liked, getting good grades— these are things that should not entirely take up the mind of a youth. Love and appreciation from family and society should not have to depend on the success of a child. Whatever happened to letting kids be kids?

This issue brings a very important concern to light. The act of getting help. Regardless of age, mental illnesses are no different than injuries you can see with the naked eye. And getting aid and therapy is nothing to be ashamed about. School officials have initiated counseling for the youth in an effort to release tension and stress. Rome was not built in a day. To change society’s way of thinking, it is imperative to start small and move steadily. And if even one life is spared, it’s absolutely worth it.