Hong Kong number to remember during stressful times
- As the city faces a mental health crisis, those who are suffering can now dial 18111 and receive 24-hour support from a government-backed hotline
The holidays are not always happy times for everyone, especially those struggling with mental health issues. So, it was a timely move for Hong Kong to this week introduce a hotline offering around-the-clock counselling support.
The government-backed hotline reached by dialling 18111 has been in service since Wednesday. Judging by the high volume of calls received in its first days of operation, it is sorely needed as society grapples with a range of challenges.
Authorities should press ahead with such initiatives to keep pace with public needs.
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said the “real time” and “person-to-person” hotline coordinates services from more than 20 government and non-government organisations and may offer immediate referrals for specific services and follow-ups. The service is expected to handle some 300 to 400 calls a day.
The system was suggested in last year’s policy address, among initiatives to tackle mental health issues. It came up again in June after two women were stabbed to death at a shopping centre allegedly by a man who was said to suffer from mental health issues.
Months of anti-government protests in 2019 followed by almost three years of Covid-19 pandemic measures have taken an emotional toll on the city, giving rise to a mental health crisis.
Earlier this month, the Education Bureau reported there had been 31 suspected suicides among students in the first 11 months of the year, higher than annual figures recorded in the past five years. A Chinese University study found that nearly one in four Hong Kong children and adolescents had faced a mental disorder in the past year.
Mental health hotline opens for Hongkongers with 24-hour counselling help
The new hotline number “18111” is meant to be easy to remember, an approach many other communities around the world have applied successfully. Publicity and outreach programmes should help ensure the number is imprinted in people’s minds.
Lo said caretakers, friends and relatives should be ready to call the number “if they notice anyone struggling”. Prevention and early intervention measures must continue to be developed as ways of reaching out to those heading for a mental health crisis.
Until such services are further expanded, the new hotline is a welcome step.
