Poll results released by an NGO on Sunday suggest that around one in four secondary school students could be suffering from symptoms of "medium to severe" levels of depression and anxiety.

The Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service asked more than 1800 students to fill in self-evaluation forms between November and March.

It found that 25.9 and 22 percent of students showed signs of depression and anxiety respectively, compared to 25.5 and 20.5 percent last year.

A little more than 20 percent of them also said they felt stressed out.

The NGO's clinical psychologist, Jeff Kei, said the findings are concerning.

"Nowadays, there are so many changes in society. For example, we're adapting to new technologies such as AI," he told RTHK.

"So the fast-paced society and numerous changes definitely add to the stress of teenagers."

Kei called on students to find support from family and friends, adding that professional help should be sought if they experience serious, prolonged symptoms for two weeks or more.

"If the emotional distress starts affecting their everyday life, for example they're avoiding school, or not talking to friends and family, I think these are some warning signs to pay attention to," he said.

Meanwhile, the poll also showed that the respondents' overall level of blissfulness came in at 2.9 out of 5, compared to 2.63 last year.

Kei said the slight improvement could be down to some students being able to find ways to tackle emotional distress, and youngsters recovering from the emotional trauma brought on by the Covid pandemic.