The head of the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong on Sunday called on people to show more care to the elderly, saying the rate of elderly suicide had been rising in recent years.
Speaking on a radio programme, Professor Paul Yip said many elderly people had been isolated socially during the pandemic and young people were moving away from Hong Kong for different reasons.
"We found that elderly people often feel lonely, hopeless, and anxious. Often, this is due to illness, which can lead to feelings of abandonment," he told reporters after the programme.
Yip said his centre will work with care teams to reach out to senior citizens in need, which he believes would help more than 10,000 elderly people in the long run.
"We offer training for care teams so they can reach out to the elderly, assess their needs, and provide suitable services. We hope to expand the service from the current six districts to all 18 after the trial."
On youth mental health, the professor said the teenage suicide rate had been declining thanks to effective responses from schools at the beginning of this year.
Elderly suicide rate on the rise: Paul Yip
2024-03-17 HKT 11:47
Share this story
