Covid Fallout May Lead To More Suicides, NGO Warns

The Samaritan Befrienders has urged the government to prepare for a spike in the suicide rate, as Hong Kong people struggle with an economic downturn, job losses and business failures amid the Covic-19 pandemic.

The group’s executive director, Clarence Tsang, on Saturday cited the increase in suicides during the 2003 SARs outbreak, as he called on officials to find more ways to ease the financial burden for the public, especially people in hard-hit sectors, like transport and tourism.

He also urged the administration to support NGOs.

“With reference to what we had during the SARs period, when there was a big economic downturn, there was a very big increase of suicide deaths,” Tsang noted.

“I guess with that experience, we may still have the same thing when the pandemic situation is getting worse, although there may be a delaying effect, but the two have a very close correlation, so we have to be very careful about that,” he told RTHK's Frances Sit.

According to the University of Hong Kong's Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, the SAR's suicide rate reached 18.8 per 100,000 people in 2003, its highest ever.

The NGO said it received more than 900 requests for help related to social movements between March and December last year. Most of them only called the service to vent their emotions, but a small number of them were suicidal.

Tsang said people will in general feel better if the relationship between the government and the public could improve. He also urged people feeling down to try to focus on doing something they love and spend time with family.