Mounting mental stress not easing

Mental health issues in Hong Kong are surging amid tumultuous protests as the optimistic future is hard to see for many¨

Stress and trauma over the political turmoil surrounding Hong Kong’s extradition bill has created an unprecedented mental health problem that the city is not equipped to deal with, medical professionals say.

Discussion of mental health carries a huge stigma in the Chinese-ruled territory, and younger people are particularly vulnerable because of the stresses of everyday life: exorbitant living costs, cramped housing, academic pressure and a gloomy view of the future.

On Tuesday, July 9, embattled Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said the bill, which would allow people to be extradited to mainland China for trial, was “dead.” In the same remarks, she acknowledged that there were entrenched social problems in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong’s youth have been at the forefront of the city’s biggest and most violent protests in decades, with police firing rubber bullets and tear gas in chaotic scenes that grabbed global headlines.

Anger and frustration over the extradition bill, and the government’s handling of it, have pushed many to desperation. “It’s hard to see the future if there is no solution. Our government should understand how we think,” said Kayi Wong, a 23-year-old designer. Wong said she felt depressed reading about the recent deaths. Many people feared there would be more amid multiple societal problems, including housing issues, family troubles and what she described as an inability to communicate feelings effectively to each other.

Calls to support groups and non-governmental organisations have surged, said Karman Leung, chief executive of one such group, Samaritans Hong Kong.

Because of the stigma surrounding mental health and with a heated political issue at the root of their stress, people don’t feel they can talk about it, said Zoe Fortune, the chief executive of City Mental Health Alliance.“It’s a double whammy and people don’t know where to go for support,” she said.

Conflict between family members with different standpoints increases tension and further fractures society, say volunteer counselling groups. Some such organisations, including the Division of Counselling Psychology, under the Hong Kong Psychological Society, have started offering free counselling.

A private 50-minute session with a psychologist costs between $102-$384, making private treatment out of reach for large swathes of the population.

Unless issues are solved fundamentally, the mounting mental stress won’t ease, said Joe, a Hong Kong student.

“They are Hong Kong people, just like our family members,” he said. “Very serious things are happening, so it is hard to stay positive and optimistic.”

REUTERS

Podívejme se na podmínkovou spojku unless, která se objevila ve větě „Unless issues are solved fundamentally, the mounting mental stress won’t ease…” („Pokud se problémy nebudou řešit zásadně, narůstající psychická zátěž nepoleví …“). Jedná se o výraz vyjadřující zápor, proto zbytek věty musí být kladný. Unless můžeme nahradit výrazem if not, přičemž význam zůstane úplně stejný: If issues are not solved fundamentally… . Pamatujme na použití přítomného času v podmínkové části věty, nikoliv budoucího.

Nahraďte výrazem until:

If you don’t study hard, you will not pass. You will not leave if you don’t clean the mess. If the terms don’t improve, I will not pay for it.

Řešení: Unless you study hard, you will not pass. You will not leave unless you clean the mess. Unless the terms improve, I will not pay for it.

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