Event Details

• Topic: Youth Mental Health – Is there a link between suicidality and social withdrawal tendencies and behaviour?
• Date: 20 May 2026 (Wednesday)
• Time: 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (GMT+8)
• Venue: Virtual via ZOOM
• Speaker: A/P Paul Wai-ching Wong, Associate Professor, The University of Hong Kong
• Moderator: A/P Lee Jungup, Associate Professor and Co-Director, NUS Social Service Research Centre

Seminar Overview
This seminar, organized in collaboration with the National University of Singapore (NUS) Social Service Research Centre, focuses on the urgent public health priority of youth mental health.
The session will examine the critical intersection between suicidality and severe social withdrawal, often referred to as hikikomori or “hidden youth”. Drawing upon empirical research, we will discuss how prolonged withdrawal serves as a profound indicator of psychological distress and its significant correlation with depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation.
The discussion will also address how fast-paced urban environments, common to both Hong Kong and Singapore, can exacerbate isolation and create barriers to traditional help-seeking.

Please register at the following link to receive the Zoom session details:
Register Here

You will automatically receive an email with the Zoom link upon successful registration.

We look forward to your participation and to a meaningful dialogue on fostering early detection and compassionate interventions for vulnerable youth. Please contact swsa@hku.hk for any enquiries.