Free mental health screenings are helping Hongkongers learn if they could benefit from psychological help. Photo: ShutterstockBefore you read: Free mental health screenings of more than 11,000 people found 6 per cent required further assessments or care, some with mild to moderate depression or anxiety. Demand for mental health services in Hong Kong has long been high, with the median waiting time at public psychiatric clinics nearly one year.
Think about it: Do you have enough mental health support around you? What can we do to increase awareness of the situation?
A free mental health screening offered by the Hong Kong government has found that 6 per cent of the more than 11,000 people tested in the past four months needed referrals for further psychological testing or care.
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said in a Legislative Council meeting last week that the screening drive focused on those with no apparent signs of mental health issues.
“We never encourage those [already] with mental health symptoms to do the screening ... they should instead see a doctor,” he said.
“People often visit district health centres for physical check-ups [but] by adding this mental health screening there, we could find out who did not know they had such needs and provide relevant support.”
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Under a pilot scheme rolled out last August, three district health centres in Tuen Mun, Eastern district and Yau Tsim Mong started providing mental health screenings to adult residents using questionnaires.
Those found to be suffering from mild to moderate depression or anxiety would then be referred to NGOs for further assessment and low-intensity psychological therapy by trained mental health practitioners without charge.
By December last year, the three centres had screened more than 11,000 residents, of which 6 per cent, or 700 people, were referred to well-being practitioners, Lo said.
Out of 300 residents who received further assessments, 266 were found to have mild to moderate emotional distress and were referred to low-intensity psychological therapy.
Lo said 80 per cent of those who completed the therapy showed significant improvements in their clinical symptoms.
The remaining 34 residents were classified as high-risk and referred to the Social Welfare Department for more professional support.
Lo said the pilot scheme would run for 18 months, and authorities would consider expanding the services after a review of its effectiveness. They would also seek to make the services accessible to ethnic minority residents.
Hong Kong’s suicide rate stood at 13.6 per 100,000 population in 2023, a slight drop from 2022 but still the second highest in a decade.
The demand for mental health services in the city has long been high, with the median waiting time at public psychiatric clinics stretching to nearly a year for some cases. Only those classified as urgent cases were able to see a doctor within one week.
To deal with the situation, authorities sought to use district health centres to offer better mental health services at a community level. District health centres are resource hubs that offer disease prevention and screening, chronic illness management, and rehabilitation services.