Prevalence of Mental Health Disorder in Hong Kong

Running head:HEALTHCARE
Prevalence of Mental Health Disorder in Hong Kong
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
Mental health disorders are a very important issue in the healthcare of any country.
The prevalence of psychiatric disorders is diverse across countries. However, with the
continuously increasing psychological interventions and health promotions, it can be
expected that the prevalence of mental health disorders may be lowering. In Hong Kong, the
aspect of mental health occupies a significant position in the healthcare system (Fhb.gov.hk.,
2020). The aim of this essay is to shed light on the prevalence of different mental health
disorders across Hong Kong, the steps that have been taken and to judge whether the rate of
mental health disorders have declined in the recent years.
Discussion
In a busy city like that of Hong Kong, stress is prevalent in citizens. As per the Hong
Kong Mental Morbidity Survey of 2010-2013, a widespread study on 5700 adults between
the age of 16 and 75 was conducted (Lam et al., 2014). This survey showed that around 13.3
per cent of the adults suffered from a mental health disorder. The most common disorder that
was prevalent included depression and anxiety disorders, which was around 6.9 per cent
(Fhb.gov.hk., 2020). However, among individuals with common mental disorders, most of
them did not seek help according to the same survey. Only around 26 per cent went the
required healthcare professionals for help (Lam et al., 2015). In a separate survey conducted
by the Department of Health of Hong Kong, around 2000 random citizens were surveyed via
telephone (Change4health.gov.hk., 2020), and they reported around 4.8 per cent of them
having non-specific psychological distress symptoms (Fhb.gov.hk., 2020). Despite the above
prevalence and the low number of patients, it has also been observed that in accordance with
the recent statistics, the population has been seeking mental healthcare more and more in
recent years. In the year 2011-12, the number of patients seeking mental healthcare was

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187000, while in the year 2015-16, it rose up to 220000. This shows that individuals are
becoming more aware in terms of seeking help for mental disorders and that is always a
positive sign (Fhb.gov.hk., 2020). While this does not mean that the prevalence of the mental
disorder has declined or increased, it is evidence of the fact that people are becoming more
careful and inclined to seek help when they need it.
Mental health issues among adolescents is a very important concern of Hong Kong
Mental Healthcare system. A review of the same topic showed that there was a high
prevalence of depressive disorders rather than other mental health issues among adolescents.
This review showed that health interventions to combat this problem should focus more on
the positive youth development aspect and the factors related to their family life (Yuen, Liu
& Tse, 2019). Such reviews and studies pave the way of better health interventions in all
group of mental health patients. On a similar note, the prevalence of mental health disorders
is very high among the University students of Hong Kong. Seventy-six per cent of the mental
health patients suffer from depression, anxiety or closely related disorders. The major factors
were related to academic stress, family stress or stress from peers. A significant number of
Chinese students studying in Hong Kong suffer from Insomnia (Lo et al., 2018). In recent
times, it has been evidence that the mental well-being of adolescents in high school and
undergraduate programs deteriorated rather than becoming better (Shek & Lin, 2017). This
shows that while the common population may be seeking healthcare, and the rate of mental
disorders may be decreasing, the same is not true for the students. Another study showed that
alcohol drinking was quite common among university students of Hong Kong. Binge-
drinking or occasional drinking was linked to higher mental health disorder risk among the
students, which may also be the reason for high rates of mental health conditions in students
(Huang et al., 2016). Being an adolescent comes with its own set of discomforts, and the
academic pressure and stress are bound to have a significant effect on the psychological