Following is a question by the Hon Jonathan Stuart Lamport and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (November 4):

Question:

     It is reported that a survey has shown that Hong Kong's overall happiness index for this year has dropped slightly compared with last year, with Generation Y (Gen Y) (generally referring to persons born in the 1980s and 1990s) being the least happy group, and the Gen Y respondents generally indicated that they felt lost in life and were worried about the current economic and social situation. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) given that the aforesaid survey has reportedly pointed out that over 40 per cent of the surveyed members of the public self-rated as having moderate to severe depressive symptoms, whether the authorities have plans to, under the existing mechanism, conduct a dedicated survey targeting the Gen Y group who are in the career-building stage while simultaneously facing economic and life pressures, so as to accurately grasp their psychological pain points and assistance needs;

(2) in response to the anxiety of Gen Y in the workplace and in life, whether the authorities will explore with the business sector the rollout of pragmatic collaborative measures, such as providing targeted subsidies or tax incentives to the business sector, to encourage and support enterprises in promoting mental health-friendly workplaces, thereby maintaining the stability and quality of Hong Kong's labour force; and

(3) in respect of Gen Y's anxiety about the current economic and social situation, whether the authorities will formulate a more comprehensive cross-departmental long-term strategy to fully support the employment as well as physical and mental health development of Gen Y through a multi-pronged approach covering the employment development, emotional support, family-friendly measures and community networks of the group?

Reply:

President,

     Supporting young people in managing their financial, employment and living conditions, thereby reducing anxiety and improving mental health, is a complex and multifaceted issue. Taking forward such supportive works in the community requires a shared commitment and collaborative efforts across different sectors.

     In consultation with the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB), the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) and the Department of Health (DH), a reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Jonathan Stuart Lamport is as follows:

(1) and (3) Relevant government bureaux and departments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community partners have consistently worked together, adopting a multi-pronged approach to provide comprehensive support for Generation Y's employment as well as physical and mental well-being across areas such as employment, emotional support, family-friendly policies and community networks, whilst taking into account various policy considerations. Examples include the following:

     The Government is committed to promoting the diversified development of young people and organising different activities for them to realise their potentials, with a view to fostering a healthy environment conducive to their growth. The HYAB published in 2022 the first edition of the Youth Development Blueprint (Blueprint) which outlines the principles, objectives and actions of the Government in pursuing youth development. The HYAB has organised and subsidised different types of youth development activities, covering internship and exchange, entrepreneurship, life planning, Youth Ambassadors Programme, youth engagement, adventure activities, youth uniformed groups and volunteer services, etc, for young people to better equip themselves, develop their strengths and enhance their competitiveness.

     In line with the direction of the Blueprint, to foster positive thinking among young people and enhance their physical and mental well-being, team spirit, and resilience, the HYAB and Youth Development Commission jointly launched the HYAB Funding Scheme for Youth Positive Thinking Activities under the Youth Development Fund to subsidise eligible NGOs to organise projects that are conducive to nurturing positive thinking amongst young people, thereby promoting awareness of their physical and mental well-being, nurturing positive thinking among them, cultivating their positive values, and enabling them to become a new generation possessing a sense of responsibility and having an aspiration and willingness to contribute to the development of our country and of Hong Kong.

     With regard to employment development, the Labour Department (LD) has all along adopted a multi-pronged approach and formulated appropriate measures to provide wide-ranging training and employment support for young people. The LD operates job centres across the territory to provide comprehensive employment services for job seekers of different ages and backgrounds. Job seekers can meet with employment officers at the job centres to receive personalised employment advisory services. Based on job seekers' needs and preferences, employment officers recommend suitable employment programmes or training/retraining courses to them, so as to enhance their employability and expand their employment opportunities.

     On mental health support, the Government's strategy is to identify and intervene in potential cases at an early stage through cross-sectoral collaboration, thereby minimising the likelihood of them developing into more complex social, family, and health issues. Any cases where mental health problems require medical intervention, are already serious; treatment or rehabilitation is more difficult, and the social and personal costs are higher.

     In terms of emotional support and community networks, the "18111 - Mental Health Support Hotline" (Hotline) was launched in December 2023. Operating 24 hours a day, the Hotline provides one-stop emotional and mental health support to individuals from all backgrounds and of all ages who are experiencing mental distress due to various reasons (such as interpersonal relationship, stress coping and adjustment issues) and provides appropriate service information or referrals based on the callers' individual needs. As of September this year, the Hotline has handled over 350 000 calls.

     To enhance public participation in and understanding of mental health with a view to encouraging members of the public to seek help and intervention at an early stage, the Advisory Committee on Mental Health and the DH launched the "Shall We Talk" mental health promotion and public education programme. Since July 2020, "Shall We Talk" has launched a one-stop dedicated website (shallwetalk.hk), various media pages and social media platforms which provide mental health information and resources to the general public on topics such as mental well-being, common mental health problems, seeking help, community support, activities and health education materials. "Shall We Talk" also provides mental health related resources to schools and workplace.

     The Social Welfare Department (SWD) has set up 25 Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness (ICCMWs) across the territory to provide one-stop, district-based community mental health support services ranging from early prevention to crisis management for persons in mental recovery, persons with mental health needs, their families and carers, and local residents. Services include case counselling, group activities, public education, and exhibitions.

     Since 2019, the SWD has provided resources to NGOs to operate five mobile vans to promote mental health in all districts across Hong Kong through mobile exhibitions, mini-talks, activities and on-site screenings or assessments, with a view to achieving the objectives of early prevention, early identification and early intervention.

     At the community and family level, through diversified promotional activities, the Government is committed to encouraging employers to implement family-friendly employment practices to help employees balance work and family needs. The HYAB has all along been supporting the work of the Family Council (Council) to promote to the general public a culture of loving families. The HYAB and the Council launched the five-year Funding Scheme on the Promotion of Family Education (Scheme) in October 2024. With an annual provision of $8 million, the Scheme subsidises non-profit-making community projects in promoting family education to meet the needs of different families. The Scheme covers various family-related themes, such as education for new parents, parent-child education, maintaining family relationships, inheritance of good family values and traditional virtues, assisting parents to guide their children and adolescents towards positive, proactive, and self-reliant values from an early age, thus supporting Generation Y to meet their caregiving needs in the family. On the other hand, the Council has been encouraging the wider adoption of more diversified and flexible family-friendly employment practices (FFEPs) in the community. Since 2023-24, the Council has launched promotional videos titled "Family-friendly Workplace" introducing various FFEPs adopted by local companies with sharing by employers and employees. The FFEPs presented in the videos include work-from-home arrangements, flexible work hours, parental leave, and family leave. The Council has also collaborated with the Radio Television Hong Kong to produce radio programmes to promulgate different FFEPs. 

(2) The DH, the LD and the Occupational Safety and Health Council (OSHC) have collaborated to implement the Mental Health Workplace Charter (Charter). Through a series of activities and practical support measures, the Charter actively encourages employers to adopt measures in the workplace to promote mental well-being, and to encourage active listening and communication, thereby fostering a mental health-friendly working environment. To leverage cross-departmental and cross-sectoral synergies, starting from the 2024/25 school year, schools that have signed the Education Bureau's 4Rs Mental Health Charter will concurrently sign the Charter, to cultivate a mentally health-friendly workplace for the staff. In 2026-27, the annual promotional theme is "Communication in the Workplace". The Government will step up the promotion of the Charter to attract broader participation from organisations and optimise employee training content, such as incorporating a more diverse range of mental health-related courses. As at the end of September this year, over 3 400 organisations have signed the Charter. The DH, the LD, and the OSHC will continue to collaborate to enhance both online and offline publicity, actively promoting the Charter across various industries through diversified channels to further raise public awareness and industry engagement.

     The SWD launched the Pilot Programme on Training for Mental Health Promotion Ambassador (Programme) in October this year, with the aim of recruiting 5 000 ambassadors of diverse ages and backgrounds, including members of Generation Y. The ICCMWs liaise with social welfare units and district organisations in the community - including commercial organisations, secondary schools, tertiary institutions and religious groups - to implement the Programme collaboratively. The trained ambassadors can leverage their personal networks to disseminate positive mental health knowledge through family, workplace and community networks; foster a culture of mutual care and support among neighbours; strive to reduce the stigma associated with mental health from the public; and enhance mental health-friendly workplaces and communities. We encourage wider participation in the Programme to call for a concerted effort in promoting healthy lifestyles, fostering resilience and building a caring and supportive community network.

Ends/Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Issued at HKT 15:00

NNNN