Hong Kong Connection：Mind Matters

According to the Hospital Authority, in 2021, there were about 270,000 patients with mental illness receiving treatment under their care in Hong Kong, with approximately 370 psychiatrists available. The ratio of mental health patients to psychiatrists in Hong Kong has long been below the World Health Organization's recommendation of at least one psychiatrist per 10,000 people. The shortage of medical staff leads to long waiting times for patients. In June 2023, the government proposed ten measures to strengthen mental health support. These include optimizing the ratio of case managers to patients with severe mental illnesses to no more than 1:40, prescribing newer medications with fewer side effects, reviewing the “conditional discharge” mechanism, and exploring the feasibility of “Compulsory Treatment Order”. However, some scholars point out that the fundamental issue is the shortage of medical staff. The question remains: how can mental health services be optimized for the greatest benefit of the patients?