Any suicide is tragic. When the victim is a child or young person, the sense of loss is often magnified. It can have profound effects on family, friends and the community.

The International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, created by United States Senator Harry Reid in 1999, is held each November on the Saturday before American Thanksgiving. It is the one day in a year when individuals affected by suicide loss gather around the world at events in their local communities to seek solace and understanding as they share stories of healing and hope. Although some will blame themselves for not having acted sooner to save a loved one, most would agree with former US president James A Garfield that “suicide is not a remedy”. Others may concur with the British statesman Winston Churchill (himself a victim of “black dog” melancholy) that “If you’re going through hell, keep going”. He also added, “Never, never, never give up”, inspiring words that may not always resonate with those at wit’s end.

According to the World Health Organization, mental health is fundamental not only to maintaining personal health but also to the functioning of the community. Its message that there is no health without mental health has long resonated in Hong Kong. With this in mind, the Advisory Committee on Mental Health in Hong Kong launched its “Shall We Talk” initiative in 2020 to promote mental health awareness.

Indeed, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has always been keenly aware of its mental health responsibilities. For example, in the 2017 Policy Address, it launched a mental health education and destigmatization campaign. Thereafter, in the 2018 Policy Address, it earmarked recurrent annual funding of HK$50 million ($6.37 million) for a mental health promotion and public education initiative, intended to build a mental health-friendly community. As a result, solid infrastructure is currently in place to help those in need.

However, when the Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention (CSRP) at the University of Hong Kong announced the latest (albeit preliminary) suicide statistics on Sept 11, there was alarm. Although the overall suicide rate declined from 13.8 per 100,000 Hong Kong residents in 2024 to 13 per 100,000 residents last year, which was encouraging, the suicide rate among young teenagers increased in the same period, which was concerning.

Whereas the suicide rate for those aged under 15 was 2.9 per 100,000 residents last year, this was up from 0.9 per 100,000 residents in 2024. Among the 15 known suicides in this age group, there were 14 males and one female in 2025, compared to six cases, involving one male and five females, the previous year.

However, the figures are provisional, based on concluded coronial inquiries, and some cases are still outstanding.

In any event, although the figures were alarming, they still required context. Education Bureau figures showed that there were 25 suspected student suicides in both 2021 and 2022, with 32 in 2023, mainly among primary and secondary school students. In other words, except for 2024, the child suicide statistics for 2025 can bear comparison with the earlier years, and a sense of perspective is vital.

The CSRP believed that most of the students who committed suicide last year faced academic pressure and problems with peers, although there may be more to it than that.

The CSRP also examined media coverage of suicides, pointing out how careful the press needs to be. It referenced the so-called “Werther Effect”, a psychological phenomenon whereby suicide rates can increase after a widely publicized suicide (particularly if the grim details are highlighted). In other words, lurid reporting can trigger copycat suicides and should be avoided by the media.

The loss of a young life diminishes everybody, and there are no easy answers. Although suicide is complex and influenced by a host of factors, its incidence can undoubtedly be contained to a degree, particularly when young people are involved.

Although there may be few warning signs, the CSRP’s founding director, Paul Yip Siu-fai, hoped that teachers could support new students as they transitioned from primary to secondary school. Even then, many children will suffer in silence, and it may never be clear what pushed them over the edge.

However, the recent legislation (2026) requiring 25 categories of specified professionals to report suspected child abuse is undoubtedly a big step in the right direction. It should help to prevent potential domestic tragedies.

Although the CSRP called on schools to improve mental health awareness and foster better peer relationships, this may not always be easy. That said, suicide is often associated with depression, despair and stress, and it would be surprising if these went wholly undetected. Even if the schools see nothing amiss, it would be strange if family members sensed nothing was wrong. It is surely incumbent on everybody to be more aware of the mental health of young people, and it should never be assumed that a child is just having a bad day.

If a child becomes withdrawn, perhaps refusing social activities, cannot cope with schoolwork, is unable to sleep, or has eating disorders, the situation should be discussed with them by relatives if not by teachers (and social workers). After all, early intervention may often be the key to survival. Even if this only involves encouraging them to talk, exercise regularly, and eat normally, so be it.

It is reassuring that entities are already in place to help at-risk children, and they are undoubtedly effective. Most notably, the Three-tier School-based Emergency Mechanism, an interdepartmental collaboration between the Education Bureau, the Health Bureau and the Social Welfare Department, exists in all secondary schools. When it was launched in 2023, the government said it aimed to build “a stronger safety net” for children in danger.

In practice, the mechanism encourages schools, parents and relevant stakeholders to work collectively with the schools’ multidisciplinary teams, the off-campus support network and medical services to facilitate the early identification of students with a higher suicidal risk. This is commendable, and a comprehensive service will have achieved much. If, however, in light of the CSRP’s statistics, anything can be done to enhance its efficacy, and that of other agencies (including “Shall We Talk”), it would surely not go amiss. Until the point is reached when everybody involved can cross their hearts and proclaim they have done everything possible to counter child suicide threats, nobody can afford to let their guard down.

In the meantime, the Commission on Children, chaired by Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki and comprising bureau secretaries, departmental heads and interest groups, is ideally placed to review the whole situation. After all, it describes itself as an “ongoing, action-oriented and high-level advisory body which provides steer on children initiatives; sets policy directions, strategies and priorities related to the development and advancement of children; and oversees its implementation”. Moreover, as it coordinates “the efforts of various government bureaus and departments”, it can assess the situation holistically, and apply whatever pressures are necessary to maximize the safeguards available to ensure the well-being of children.

Although various organizations are already making sterling contributions to promoting young people’s mental welfare, there is always room for improvement. This is as true of child welfare as it is of everything else. If nothing else, the CSRP’s statistics show there is no room for complacency.

The author, a senior counsel, law professor and former director of public prosecutions of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is an honorary consultant to the Child Protection Institute of Against Child Abuse.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.