(The Standard P.6 25 Mar 2013) Nearly 80 percent of young people who are
unable to find a job after leaving school pay an emotional price.
This was the finding in a survey of 752
people, aged 15 to 29, conducted by Caritas (明愛),
Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service (浸會信愛群社會服務處) and
the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong (香港心理衛生會).
Seventy-eight percent of respondents
reported emotional problems, while 39 percent admitted (承認) to frictions (爭執) with family
members, and 35 percent stayed at home all day long. The emotional problems
included depression (抑鬱),
anxiety (焦慮), manic
depressive disorder (躁狂抑鬱症) and adjustment disorders (適應障礙).
About 54 percent had left school and were
unemployed. Of these, 33 percent stayed jobless for more than six months.
The survey also revealed (顯露出) that as these youngsters became older, they
become more isolated socially (被社會孤立) and more reluctant (抗拒) to reach out to people.
Of those who experienced family
frictions, 28 percent saw those tensions break out in quarrels (爆發 爭吵) while 5 percent
of those quarrels ended in violence.
"Many young people have doubts (懷疑 ) about their personal worth (個人價值) and
are unsure about their position. They need self-recognition (自我認知) over their
studies or work, and need to find people to talk about their problems,"
said Tai Hui-ning, assistant in charge of the Integrated Community Centre for
Mental Wellness-Service Development (精神健康綜合社區中心) of
Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service (浸信會愛羣社會服務處).
Teenagers who cannot express their emotions
become socially isolated, he added.
Kelvin Yuen Chun-fung, assistant social work
officer of Caritas Wellness Link - Tsuen Wan, which provides rehabilitation
services (復康治療中心) ,
said many parents are only concerned about whether their children are studying
or working at a job, but lack communication skills with their children.
The organizations called on (請求) the government
to commit (撥出) more
resources to mental health care (精神科護理).
Parents should also understand the needs
of their children and offer more encouragement and recognition (讚賞) to
youngsters, they said.
They also called on setting up support
schemes to help unemployed youngsters, or those who have left school.
Catherine, a Secondary Six student, said she
was full of negative thoughts (負面思想) in the past.
"I felt very unhappy and cried for no
reason. I also felt I was alone and even wanted to kill everyone," she
said.
After seeking help from a social worker,
her emotions became stable (穩定的).
She urges youngsters to seek help from professionals if they face pressure.
Winnie Chong
The result of the survey of 752 people, aged 15-29, shows 78 percent of interviewees who are having emotional problems which are such as depression, anxiety, manic depressive disorder as well as adjustment disorder. Some school leavers have been unemployed over six months after leaving school. This survey reflects most young people feel unhappy and dissatisfied with their living, they are even unsure about their future. It is worrying.
回覆刪除Finding a satisfied job nowadays is competitive. Those jobless school leavers should face the problem of unemployment with a positive attitude. For example, finding the information of company background, which they intend to apply for a post, they should consider that if the company can provide better further for them, instead it pays good salaries. Besides, they should seize every chance and try their best to perform well in interviews.
At the same time, young people should widen their social network. Talking with others face to face to improve their communication skills, they should develop better relationship with family members and friends. Youngsters should ask for help immediately if they confront pressure.
Youngsters are not only our hope but also our future. We should pay attention to them. It is time that the Government should launch some measures and have long-term schemes, and to commit more resources to some related and non-profit organizations to help those young people. Also, social workers and the professionals should work together to help the youngsters to raise their sense of worth. They should lead the young people to build up their personal worth and responsibility. Parents should try their best to communicate with their children. Make the latter feel that they are not lonely. Instead, their parents love and care for them.
Shirley Wong