Asia-Pacific News
Suicide rate climbs among young people in Hong Kong
Apr 25, 2010, 5:37 GMT
Hong Kong - The number of young people killing themselves in Hong Kong is rising, a researcher said Sunday.
Paul Yip, who heads a suicide research center at the University of Hong Kong, said the rise in youth suicides came despite a fall in the overall number of suicides to less than 1,000 a year.
Three university students in Hong Kong committed suicide in March in the space of just over a fortnight, drawing attention to the problem of youth suicides.
Some sociologists say heavy study loads and pressure from parents to succeed contribute factors to youth suicide, particularly in the run-up to spring and summer exams.
Speaking on government-run radio station RTHK, Yip said he believed the rise in teen suicides was caused by drug abuse and a lack of support from families and teachers.
When suicide rates in Hong Kong peaked in 2003, 1,200 people were killing themselves every year in the city of 7 million, one of the world's highest per capita rates.
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