Suicide rate among children under 15 tripled last year, as researchers urge schools and media to do better

A recent report has warned that the suicide rate among children under 15 in Hong Kong has tripled compared to the previous year. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong released the latest statistics, revealing that the rate for this age group increased from 0.9 per 100,000 residents in 2024 to 2.9 per 100,000 residents in 2025. Only 15 cases were reported in 2025, all of which were male, while in 2024, there were six cases, including one female.

Paul Yip, the centre's founding director, emphasized the importance of schools strengthening mental health awareness and fostering better peer relationships for new students transitioning from primary to secondary school. The majority of the students who took their own lives last year faced academic pressure and issues with peers. Most of the suicides occurred at home, and all suicide notes and expressions of suicidal thoughts were found to be in digital form.

The researchers also highlighted how local media reporting on suicide does not comply with guidelines, as reported in 62% of the cases. They found that articles often provided too much detail about the method of suicide, which could potentially trigger vulnerable individuals. The centre analyzed 1,200 suicide-related news articles from six Chinese-language outlets and noted that few articles mentioned warning signs of suicide risk, which could help readers recognize the issue in themselves or others.