英譯概念：Mental health of schoolchildren
【明報專訊】■News summary
The Department of Health has announced the findings of its yearly health surveys of school children. In 2022/23 school year, 233,000 primary school students and 97,000 secondary school students received annual health inspections and were asked to fill out self-assessment questionnaires. If the number of school children who filled out a questionnaire is multiplied by the percentage of those who had attempted suicide, it can be estimated that, in 2022/23 school year, 1552 secondary school students and 2563 primary school students said they had attempted suicide.
According to the Education Bureau, there were 334,000 primary school students and 321,000 secondary school students in Hong Kong in that school year. Based on the total number of students in Hong Kong, we can estimate that the number of children who attempted suicide doubled.
In response to suicide cases among schoolchildren, the government launched a Three-Tier School-based Emergency Mechanism in December 2023 to identify and support secondary school students at risk of mental health. Lam Ching-choi, chairman of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health, argues that the most important measure is to create a joyful learning environment in schools, which he hopes will stabilize the mental health situation of school children before we can consider how to take more preventive measures. Lam says that after analyzing the recent suicide cases of school children, he has found that many of them did not involve mental problems or major learning difficulties. However, those children had felt that no one was willing to listen to them when they needed it most. He suggests that schools create areas to allow students to calm down when they are upset and allow students to do moderate or vigorous exercise for one hour a day in school.
■Mock examination question
If you were a member of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health, which two things would you suggest the government do to improve the mental health of citizens? Explain your answer with the help of the source and your own knowledge.
(4 points)
■Suggested answer
If I were a member of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health, I would suggest that the Education Bureau increase the number of school-based social workers to increase emotional support for students.
According to the source, Lam Ching-choi, chairman of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health, argues that many school children lack people to lean on and speak to. Increasing social workers stationed in schools can help support children and promptly deal with their emotional difficulties. The Education Bureau can also organize more workshops and lectures to promote mental health messages.
Secondly, I would suggest that the Hospital Authority (HA) expand public-private collaboration so that mental health patients can receive treatment more promptly. As far as I know, some psychiatric patients have to wait for over a year and a half before they can receive treatment, which could worsen their conditions. I suggest that the HA expand public-private collaboration to subsidize patients with stable psychiatric conditions who get referrals to private psychiatrists. Not only will this relieve the burden on the public sector, but it will also allow patients to receive early treatment, thus improving patients' mental health.
■Translated by Odyssey Langs
(本網發表的作品若提出批評，旨在指出相關制度、政策或措施存在錯誤或缺點，目的是促使矯正或消除這些錯誤或缺點，循合法途徑予以改善，絕無意圖煽動他人對政府或其他社群產生憎恨、不滿或敵意。)
[智學公民 第090期]
