Prof Ng (Prof Petrus NG Yat-nam, Chairman, Richmond Fellowship of Hong Kong),

Dr Fung (Dr FUNG Cheung-tim, Director, Richmond Fellowship of Hong Kong), distinguished guests and friends,

Good morning.

It is a tremendous honour to be here among so many esteemed experts in the field of mental health from Hong Kong and around the world. After almost two decades, this conference has once again returned to the city.

Twenty years is certainly a long time. Back in 2004, when the conference was last held in Hong Kong, we did not have iPhones, electric cars or Bitcoin, not to mention ChatGPT. Social media was still in its infancy when Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook. Back then, we also could not have envisaged that mental health conditions around the world would deteriorate at such an alarming speed.

Let’s face it. Our society is confronted with an increasingly urgent need to improve care and support for individuals with mental health needs. So this gathering of leaders and stakeholders is precisely what is required to generate impactful solutions and make progress on this issue.

In Hong Kong, the number of individuals with mental health challenges has experienced a rapid and concerning increase in the last 20 years. Between 2001 and 2020, the number of people with mental health needs grew by more than fourfold, from around 50 000 to over 250 000. Of particular concern is the mental wellbeing of the youths and the elderly in our city. Worryingly, a recent survey found that over 16% of young people are likely to have mental health issues. The number of suicide cases amongst the elderlies as well as the youths are indeed alarming.

More and more, we are coming to recognise that mental health challenges can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background. The impact of these challenges often extend beyond the individuals themselves, reaching their family, friends, and loved ones. Despite the growing prevalence and awareness of mental health issues in our community, misconceptions, stereotypes, and stigma persist.

We only need to reflect on events from a few months ago to see how deep-rooted these negative views are. Following the tragic incident at Diamond Hill, which involved the death of two women, sensational stories appeared in various local media outlets and social media, wrongly equating individuals with mental health needs with violence and perpetuating negative stereotypes. As a matter of fact, the Equal Opportunities Commission immediately called upon the public to avoid associating mental health issues with violence.

Indeed, these negative public perceptions and media representations have tangible, real-life consequences. Earlier this year, we published a study looking at the perception of individuals with mental health needs in the workplace. Over 80% of the employees we surveyed said discrimination against those with mental health needs is very prevalent or quite prevalent. In addition, over 40% expressed reluctance to interact with colleagues with mental health needs or admitted to feeling apprehensive about being alone with them.

Aside from the damaging effects of social exclusion, extensive research has highlighted that prejudices and stigma can exacerbate symptoms, deter individuals from seeking treatment, and negatively impact on recovery.

In Hong Kong, the Disability Discrimination Ordinance protects individuals with mental health needs, those in mental recovery, and their associates, including their carers and family members, from discrimination, harassment, and vilification. As the public body responsible for implementing the Ordinance, the EOC takes a three-pronged approach to address these challenges.

Over the years, we have been helping individuals with mental health needs and their associates seek redress for discrimination through our complaint-handling system. The mechanism not only offers a platform for parties to reconcile differences and resolve disputes through conciliation, but it also enables us to monitor the situation on the ground and, when necessary, take further action to drive broader policy change.

Let me give you an example. In one of our landmark disability discrimination cases over 20 years ago, we received complaints from three job seekers who had applied for jobs in the disciplinary services of the Hong Kong Government. At first, the applicants received conditional offers, which were subsequently revoked.

The reason was simply that they all had an immediate family member with mental health conditions.

At that time, the disciplinary services had a policy of rejecting job applicants with a family history of heritable mental health conditions. Although it was argued that the policy was put in place to protect other employees and the public, the Court determined it to be discriminatory. As a result, the Government undertook to review its recruitment policies to ensure that individuals associated with persons with mental health needs are given equal opportunities to jobs in the public sector.

Research is another critical tool in our arsenal to shed light on the causes of prejudice against individuals with mental health conditions, and identify solutions to foster greater inclusion. In recent years, one of our research focuses has been on understanding and resolving opposition to the opening of mental health service centres in local communities.

As many of you know, providing services and support at the community level is a highly effective approach to enhance access to treatment for mental health conditions. With this goal in mind, the Government proposed to set up Integrated Community Centre for Mental Wellness in all 18 districts of Hong Kong. However, community leaders and local residents often expressed opposition to the permanent placement of these centres in their neighbourhoods, even though some may recognise the importance of such services.

In 2016 and 2019, we commissioned two in-depth studies to examine the causes of this “not in my backyard” phenomenon. The interviews with key stakeholders were highly revealing. While biases towards individuals with mental health conditions played a role, we also found that inadequacies in the public consultation process, as well as the classification of the Centres as “sensitive community facilities” in official guidelines added fuel to the fire. With these findings, we were able to provide practical and precise solutions to resolve longstanding challenges in the community.

Lastly, we see public education as the final piece of the puzzle in tackling the stigma faced by individuals with mental health needs. As the saying goes, people are afraid of things they don’t understand. Making use of multiple channels, we have launched different campaigns and public education programmes to dismantle the negative stereotypes associated with mental health conditions.

Since 2012, the EOC has been one of the organising parties of the Mental Health Month campaign in Hong Kong. Each year, we release a mental health score of Hong Kong citizens, which serves to remind everyone of the importance of mental wellbeing, while also highlighting the need for increased support for those with mental health conditions.

As I mentioned earlier, the media has at times perpetuated inaccurate views on mental health conditions. Together with mental health and media professionals, we organised a seminar in September this year with the aim of promoting unbiased and positive media coverage of these issues. This is an ongoing area of focus, and we will continue to explore ways to enhance the awareness for members of the media sector in this aspect.

There is no doubt that mental health is now at the top of the Hong Kong Government’s policy agenda. It is encouraging to see the inclusion of various mental health-related measures, ranging from prevention and intervention to rehabilitation, in this year’s Policy Address. However, the fact remains that we need more experts and leaders to continue to work hand-in-hand and come up with new ideas to improve mental health support for everyone.

By breaking down barriers, neutralising stigma, and fostering a culture of compassion and understanding, we can create a society where mental health is given the attention and care it deserves.

To conclude, may I wish the conference a great success. Thank you!