HONG KONG - The Health Bureau’s mental health support hotline received 30,000 calls during its first three months of operation, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said Wednesday.

In a written reply to a query at the Legislative Council, Lo said the hotline, which provides one-stop, round-the-clock support for people with mental health needs, had an average of 349 calls per day between its launch on Dec 27, 2023 and March 21, 2024.

Lo said the top reasons for calling included mental distress (21 percent), family relationships (14 percent), physical health problems (13 percent), and work pressure (12 percent)

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Lo said the top reasons for calling included mental distress (21 percent), family relationships (14 percent), physical health problems (13 percent), and work pressure (12 percent).

The hotline referred a total of around 200 persons to the related organizations for further assistance. Among them, two were more urgent and required immediate referral to the police for follow-up, he said.

Lo said all call handlers have received professional training to equip them with sufficient skills to provide brief counseling or referral to appropriate service organizations.

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In order not to cause distress to callers or discourage them from using the service, the hotline does not require all callers to provide their personal data after receiving the service, he said.

Call handlers only collects personal data, such as telephone numbers and names, which are necessary for making referrals when necessary, he added.