Depression Numbers Now At A 10-year High: Survey

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong say the proportion of people suffering from probable depression and having suicidal thoughts hit a 10-year high during the current anti-extradition bill protests.

The research team, who have been doing a similar study since 2009, said they surveyed 1,200 people between June 22 and July 7 and found that 9.1 per cent of them were considered to have probable depression while 4.6 percent said they had suicidal thoughts.

A similar survey carried out in 2014 during the Occupy Movement had found the prevalence of probable depression and suicidal thoughts were 5.3 percent and 3.6 percent respectively.

In the surveys three years leading to that period, those figures had stood at 1.3 and 1.1 percent.

Dean of Medicine at the university, Professor Gabriel Leung, described the situation as a “mental health epidemic” caused by serious social events.

He said taking part in the recent demonstrations or supporting the extradition bill made little difference to the likelihood of someone having probable depression.

He said it shows the increase may be related to a “more generalised, community-wide spillover effect”.