HK suicide report due by start of new school year

The government's new student suicide prevention committee will be headed by one of the city’s foremost experts as administers put their heads together to combat an alarming rise in deaths.

The University of Hong Kong’s Suicide Research and Prevention Centre director Paul Yip will chair the committee which will be composed of health, welfare, school, parent, youth, student and government representatives.

The committee will convene next month with an interim report readied within three months’ and a final report to be forwarded to the Education Bureau in six months’ time.

The Education Bureau will carry out an analysis of the occurrence of youth suicides in recent years with a view to draft new prevention measures as well as improving crisis mechanisms, mental health support, counseling and collaboration between various stakeholders.

Suicide claimed more young lives than accidents last year, while seven cases were witnessed in a nine day span earlier this month.

(CHINADAILY)