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Hong Kong extradition bill
Hong KongPolitics

Hong Kong extradition protests could trigger a mental health crisis, experts warn

  • Suicide prevention groups report increase in hotline calls, after three protest-linked deaths and reports of at least two suicide attempts
  • ‘I have never seen Hongkongers so unsettled and troubled’, local expert says

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Hong Kong riot police clear the area around government headquarters after protesters stormed the Legislative Council Chamber. Photo: Sam Tsang
Su XinqiandKanis Leung

Hong Kong’s recent turmoil has led to an alarming surge in calls for emotional support, with specialists warning of an increase in suicidal thoughts and urging the government to immediately address a potential mental health crisis.

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Samaritan Befrienders, a suicide prevention group, said on Wednesday that it had received 42 calls for help since June 9. Clarence Tsang, the group’s chief executive, said all the calls were “bill related”, referring to the government’s unpopular extradition bill that march organisers claimed brought millions of Hongkongers to the streets last month.

Tsang said the number of calls was about five times higher than the number received by the group from March to May. The number of calls the group received during the Occupy protests was not available on Wednesday.

The Hong Kong Red Cross said it had received 99 calls on its psychological support hotline since June 12. That was the day police used tear gas, beanbag rounds and rubber bullets to disperse thousands of protesters occupying roads around the government headquarters and the Legislative Council.

“This is a public mental health situation,” Tsang said.

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