Half of Hong Kong’s street sleepers have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder but get little support, survey finds

Study by ImpactHK, an organisation for the homeless, and Shue Yan University finds many homeless people show symptoms of other mental problems as well

Survey organisers say there is just one psychiatric nurse in each of the three government-funded outreach teams for the homeless

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A street sleeper beds down in an underpass in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Edmond So

Published: 9:59pm, 30 Aug 2023Updated: 3:47pm, 1 Sep 2023

Almost half of Hong Kong’s street sleepers show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but just three psychiatric nurse posts exist in outreach teams funded by the government, a survey has found.

The study results, released on Wednesday, discovered that 45 per cent of street sleepers showed symptoms of PTSD, a mental illness characterised by intense reactions linked to earlier experiences, and 60 per cent said they had suffered abuse at a variety of levels.

Dr Bess Lam Yin-hung, an assistant professor in Shue Yan University’s counselling and psychology department, said the findings strengthened the link between homelessness and PTSD.

“Homelessness itself is a painful experience, they often face stress, violence, social isolation, and discrimination, and they are deprived of basic necessities and social support – these could all worsen the PTSD conditions,” she said.

“Meanwhile, the symptoms of PTSD will impede their abilities to build a stable life, like finding a job.”

(Left to right) Dr Bess Lam of Shue Yan University, Deep Ng of ImpactHK and Yin, a former street sleeper, at the launch of a major survey into the mental health of homeless people. Photo: Emily Hung

The survey was carried out by the university and ImpactHK, an NGO dedicated to helping the homeless.

Half of Hong Kong’s street sleepers have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder but get little support, survey finds

Study by ImpactHK, an organisation for the homeless, and Shue Yan University finds many homeless people show symptoms of other mental problems as well Survey organisers say there is just one psychiatric nurse in each of the three government-funded outreach teams for the homeless

Study by ImpactHK, an organisation for the homeless, and Shue Yan University finds many homeless people show symptoms of other mental problems as well

Survey organisers say there is just one psychiatric nurse in each of the three government-funded outreach teams for the homeless