Opinion: Are Hong Kong Adults Truly Listening When Children Say 'I'm Tired'?
HK01 · 1 SOURCES1 day ago6 MIN
Summary
A column by registered social worker and Legislative Council member Lam Suk-wai (林素蔚) urges Hong Kong adults to truly hear children when they express distress, warning that dismissive responses may prevent young people from seeking help. Citing a landmark study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong Medical School, Lam highlights that nearly one in four children surveyed experienced mental health challenges, calling for systemic improvements rather than reliance on crisis-driven responses.
Key Points
- A CUHK survey of 6,082 schoolchildren aged 6 to 17 conducted between 2019 and 2023 found 24.4% experienced at least one mental disorder within 12 months before the interview, spanning neurodevelopmental, emotional, and behavioral issues .
- The author argues that adults often rush to offer advice or moral correction before letting children fully express themselves, with common dismissive responses including "everyone studies like this" or "are you not working hard enough?" .
- Lam emphasizes that families should not be blamed for failing to seek help, as some fear stigma, others lack knowledge of available resources, and many are simply too exhausted from daily life pressures .
- The article stresses that completing a referral is merely an administrative step for the system, but for families it marks the beginning of their most anxious period, during which they need clear guidance on next steps .
- Mental health education should become part of daily family life rather than confined to occasional talks or event days, with parents and teachers receiving their own support structures .
Why It Matters
With Hong Kong children facing intense academic and social pressures, Lam's call for a cultural shift—from correcting children's attitudes to genuinely understanding their struggles—touches on a gap between policy rhetoric and lived family experience . The article's insistence that children deserve support before reaching crisis point, and that parents and teachers need accompaniment rather than instruction, offers a framework for reimagining child welfare as a shared community responsibility rather than an individual family burden .
With Hong Kong children facing intense academic and social pressures, Lam's call for a cultural shift—from correcting children's attitudes to genuinely understanding their struggles—touches on a gap between policy rhetoric and lived family experience . The article's insistence that children deserve support before reaching crisis point, and that parents and teachers need accompaniment rather than instruction, offers a framework for reimagining child welfare as a shared community responsibility rather than an individual family burden .