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Opinion | To prevent suicides, we must all become beacons of light for those suffering during the Covid-19 pandemic
- The pandemic has weighed heavily on people’s mental health, especially vulnerable groups such as the young, elderly and unemployed
- We can all take time to reach out, as every action can connect someone to life and to the help they need
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September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. Suicide prevention is a global challenge. Suicide ranks consistently among the 20 highest causes of death globally across all age groups. Locally, suicide is among the 10 leading causes of death and it is the leading cause among people aged 10 to 29.
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The Covid-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on people’s emotional well-being, especially the young, elderly and unemployed. Mental health has become a global priority, with the pandemic disproportionally affecting ethnic minorities and low-income earners.
This year’s theme, “Creating Hope Through Action”, is well considered and timely in its call to urge people towards action and to make a difference. We should all feel equipped, supported and inspired to act confidently as we try to prevent deaths by suicide in our communities and around the world. The International Association of Suicide Prevention hopes to “create a social movement of preventative action”. Within this, we need everyone’s involvement.
Locally, the overall suicide rate in 2021 was 12.3 per 100,000 people, which was slightly higher than the rate of 12.1 per 100,000 in 2020. To enable a valid comparison among different regions, suicide rates are standardised and adjusted according to the age structure of the world population.
As ageing in Hong Kong is more severe than in some other places, our age-standardised suicide rate after adjustment is estimated at 9.0 for 2021, which is consistent with the global average. However, we have identified two subgroups that need special attention: older adults and young people aged 15 or below.
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The suicide rate among older people is consistently higher than that of other age groups. Within our elderly population, the suicide rate of men aged 60 or above has increased significantly, from 24.3 in 2020 to 27.3 in 2021. The suicide rate of women aged 60 or above saw a slight drop, from 14.9 in 2020 to 14.6 in 2021.
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