Media

World Suicide Prevention Day 2012
“Lighting up hope in the workplace”
HKU Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention
to release survey findings on employed people suicide

10 Sep 2012

This year, the focus of Hong Kong for the World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), co-sponsored by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) every year on September 10^th, is on employment and suicide. 

According to a research by the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), an analysis of the data of the Coroners’ court has revealed that employed individuals constitute about 30% of all suicides each year, which is a strong reminder that while unemployment is often seen as a risk factor of suicide, one should not overlook the employed population who are also susceptible to the same risk factors for suicide as the unemployed population. 

Further investigations into suicide of professionals including nurses, the police and teachers have found nurses and police have relatively higher suicide rates than the overall employed population, and teachers’ suicide rate is about average. These professionals tend to face high expectations from the society and some of them are working under very stressful environment; thus their mental wellbeing may be at stake. Furthermore, their care giving roles may contribute to a stigma towards help-seeking while these caring professionals need help and support as much as other professionals.

The Centre will hold a press conference tomorrow (September 11) to release the detailed findings and make recommendations. In response to the theme of WSPD 2012 “Strengthening Protective Factors and Instilling Hope”, the centre is urging for a healthy work environment in HK including striving for work-life balance, cultivating social support from colleagues, and promoting the awareness of mental well-being.

The WHO estimates that about one million people die from suicide every year; which represents a “global” mortality rate of 16 per 100,000, or one death every 40 seconds. For every person who dies from suicide, 20 or more attempt to end their lives.

Details of the press conference are as follows:

Date: September 11, 2012 (Tuesday)
Time: 3:30pm
Venue: Chamber, 11/F, Faculty of Social Sciences, The Jockey Club Tower, HKU
              (For the map, please visit : http://www.cpao.hku.hk/media/Map.png)
Speaker: Prof Paul S.F.Yip 
                  Dr.Chang Shu-sen

Enquiry:   Mr. Rickey Yau (2831 5232)