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Alarming rise in suicides among older women, pupils in Hong Kong blamed on heightened feelings of isolation amid coronavirus measures
- Overall suicide rate in the city declined slightly last year, dropping to 12.1 deaths per 100,000 people from 13.1 in 2019
- Expert identifies three groups in need of special attention – older women, children aged 15 and under, and young female adults
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An alarming rise in suicides among elderly women and children could have been caused by increased feelings of isolation during long periods of social distancing and school suspensions, a study by the University of Hong Kong has found.
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However, the overall suicide rate in the city declined slightly last year, dropping to 12.1 deaths per 100,000 people from 13.1 in 2019.
Professor Paul Yip Siu-fai, founding director of the university’s Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, identified three groups in need of special attention – older women, children aged 15 and under, and young female adults – as they recorded significant increases in deaths.
He also warned that a recent wave of emigration from Hong Kong could make the situation worse.
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The suicide rate among women aged 60 or above rose 28.5 per cent to 15.3 deaths per 100,000 people last year from 11.9 in 2019, data showed.
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