Speech by PSLW at 3rd Asia Pacific Regional Conference of International Association for Suicide Prevention (English only)
Professor Tsui (Tsui Lap-chee, Vice Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong), Professor Yip (Paul Yip, Director of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention), Professor Mishara (Brian Mishara, President of International Association for Suicide Prevention), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
It is my great honour and pleasure to speak to you today, at this remarkable conference that pools together leading academics, frontline practitioners, as well as key stakeholders from the region. I would like to congratulate the International Association for Suicide Prevention and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention on organising this important event.
Tackling Suicide
Suicide may be a personal decision but it is certainly not a personal problem. Not only does it end precious lives in despair, it also causes enormous distress to the surviving family and friends. The trauma is long-lasting, the loss permanent. Every effort should be made to look into the problem of suicide and identify effective ways to prevent it.
Suicide rates vary from place to place. In 2005, Korea recorded a national suicide rate of 24.7 per 100,000 people, whereas the rates for the United States and England & Wales were 11.0 and 6.7 respectively. Hong Kong's suicide rate lies in the middle of the global scale, with an overall suicide rate of 17.4 (data from World Health Organisation, 2008). Although the number of suicide deaths in Hong Kong has decreased from the peak of 1,227 in 2003 to 933 in 2006 (figures provided by Census & Statistics), representing a drop of more than 26%, we should not let down our guard in tackling the problem.
The causes of suicide are complex and multi-dimensional. They can be attributed to the interplay of a wide spectrum of social, physiological and psychological factors, including mental illness, chronic physical illness, negative life events and relationship problems, etc. That said, we believe that if the protective factors can be strengthened by, for instance, helping persons at risk to adopt better coping strategies and building stronger family and social support systems, the overall suicide rate can be reduced.
Government's support
I am sure participants of this conference will have a lot of intellectual exchanges on suicide prevention strategies and intervention programmes, and how they may be applied in the
Asian Pacific context. These I shall defer to the experts to deliberate.
As for the Hong Kong Government, we are fully committed to working closely with different sectors, including NGOs, professionals and academics, to combat suicide. In so doing, we
adopt a four-pronged strategy:
* First of all, we enhance our understanding of suicide through data collection, local research and review of overseas experiences;
* Second, we provide a range of preventive, supportive and remedial services, with a view to mitigating the risk factors and strengthening the protective factors. We also provide
timely assistance and intervention;
* Third, we strengthen training for frontline professionals to enhance their knowledge and skills; and
* Fourth, we alert the community to, and enhance its understanding of, the suicide problem through extensive public education and publicity.
Research to enhance our understanding of suicide
We believe that interdisciplinary research and reviews can enhance our understanding of the suicide problem, so that effective preventive strategies and programmes can be
formulated. In 2006, we commissioned the University of Hong Kong to conduct a two-year research study on the epidemiology and etiology of suicide and the best practice for suicide
prevention in Hong Kong. The research findings help us improve existing suicide prevention programmes and guide our future strategies.
In February this year, we also launched a Child Fatality Review to identify the patterns and trends of all cases of death of non-natural causes, including suicide, where the
deceased were aged under 18 who died on or after January 2006. The Review aims at examining the supporting services pertaining to child death cases and promoting inter-disciplinary
and inter-agency co-operation for the prevention of child death.
Preventive, supportive and remedial services
Applying knowledge to practice, we provide direct assistance to families, young people, elders and other vulnerable groups. Through a wide range of preventive, supportive and
remedial programmes and services, we help them cope with adversities and crises, and strengthen their network of support.
Since 2002, we have been financing the operation of a Suicide Crisis Intervention Centre to provide outreaching, immediate intervention and intensive counselling services. In
addition, a number of dedicated hotline services are provided by NGOs to those who need help.
More targeted services include programmes on the prevention of post-partum depression for women and comprehensive physical and psychosocial health assessments for students. Those
diagnosed with psychological problems by frontline workers are referred to specialists such as psychiatrists or clinical psychologists for appropriate treatment.
Young people are also supported by social workers and educational psychologists at schools. In Hong Kong, we have a "One School Social Worker for each Secondary School" policy, and
there are full-time student guidance personnel in the majority of primary schools. This is to ensure that schools can render timely counselling to needy students and implement a
variety of preventive and developmental programmes to promote positive life values. Educational psychology service is now enhanced for more than 300 needy primary and secondary
schools. Apart from assisting individual students with emotional, behavioural or learning difficulties, the school-based educational psychologists also provide advice and training
to teachers to help them identify and manage students' emotional needs.
To enhance our students' ability to cope with adversity and teach them to respect life, we have incorporated life education into relevant parts of the school curricula. Educational
programmes have also been introduced to promote whole-person development of students and instil in them a sense of competence, belonging and optimism so as to enhance their
resilience.
For our senior citizens, we have launched the Elderly Suicide Prevention Programme since 2002. Elders who have been identified by doctors, social workers and NGOs as having
depression and suicidal risks are referred to the psychogeriatric service for follow up. Fast-track services are available in designated clinics.
Training for frontline professionals
It is important that frontline professionals have the knowledge and skills to assist people at risk. We have therefore prepared guidelines and resource packages on early
identification of students showing suicidal signs for teachers' reference. These resource packages are updated from time to time and are available on-line. We also organise training
programmes, seminars and workshops, and experience-sharing sessions for teachers and health professionals to enhance their skills in handling their clients' problems.
Publicity and public education
Service provision may be a matter for our professionals, but suicide prevention concerns the whole community. Every one of us ought to know about it and can contribute to it. That
is why the Government attaches great importance to public education which aims at promoting mental health and strengthening family networks.
For 14 years we have been organising a territory-wide campaign, known as the "Mental Health Month", to promote mental health. A different theme is highlighted each year. This year,
for instance, we focus on enhancing teenagers' awareness of mental health and encouraging them to respond positively to stress and challenges as they go through their developmental
years. We believe that through this and other publicity programmes, we can enhance public awareness of suicidal risk factors and encourage individuals and families to seek early
assistance where necessary.
Closing Remarks
As governments everywhere continuously review their services and update their strategies in combating suicide, they look to experts to give advice. The International Association for
Suicide Prevention has made invaluable contributions in this regard by organising the Asia Pacific Regional Conferences. I have no doubt that the professional discourse and sharing
on this occasion will again produce innovative and insightful ideas for reference by policy makers, frontline workers and training institutions.
Once again, I wish to thank the International Association for Suicide Prevention for holding this conference in Hong Kong. I wish the event great success and all the guests from
overseas a pleasant stay in Hong Kong.