Why for Hong Kong’s depressed Gen Z, overcoming stigma and talking about emotions can help

As Hong Kong’s pressure-cooker environment has young people depressed and bottling it up, experts explain why talking about feelings is key

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Depressed young people in Hong Kong bottle up their feelings, and need to let them out so others can help them, experts say. Illustration: Davies Christian Surya

Published: 7:45am, 4 Aug 2024Updated: 5:17pm, 15 Aug 2024

This is the third article in a six-part series on Gen Z and mental health, in which we look at some of the conditions they are experiencing, including anxiety, depression and eating disorders. We talk to Gen Zs who share their stories, and to experts for their advice on ways to recover and thrive.

Generation Z, comprising people born between 1997 and 2012, is more depressed than any other age group, especially in Hong Kong.

In a Hong Kong Mental Health Association survey in February, nearly 44 per cent of respondents aged 18 to 24 reported experiencing moderate to severe depression symptoms, a much higher figure than in other age groups.

Depression and anxiety are two of the most common mental health conditions, and are often intertwined. While anxiety can make you feel on high alert and full of dread, depression can leave you in a low, even hopeless mood.

Hong Kong mental health charity Mind HK’s Instagram account posts practical information to help people in need understand their condition and start talking about it. Photo: instagram.com/mindhongkong

Depression often develops in mid-to-late adolescence and is usually diagnosable after a person has experienced at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities they normally enjoy.

Tiffany, 28, has been struggling with depression since her teens. The ambassador for Hong Kong mental health charity Mind HK is now studying psychology.

SCMP Series

Gen Z and mental health

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