Suicide Prevention Services

SPS Vision Statement

"With continual efforts to improve our services in the light of the needs of our community, we aim at becoming the best suicide prevention organisation in Hong Kong, making solid contributions towards the creation of a warm and caring community."

SPS Mission Statement

"Suicide Prevention Services is serving people who are suicidal, despairing or in emotional distress by means of befriending and other services helping them to regain control of their emotions and the will to live on. We also aim at raising general awareness towards suicide and identifying ways in which suicides can be effectively addressed."

Our History

In 1992, the Befrienders International, a renowned international organisation dedicated to suicide prevention, initiated a study in Hong Kong which confirmed the need to provide a Cantonese suicide prevention hotline.

With the support of the Hong Kong Government and different sectors of the local community, The Samaritans (Cantonese Speaking Service) 生命熱線 which provided 12-hour hotline service. The service, being volunteer-based and operating on befriending ideology, was established in May 1995. In many aspects, the Centre at that time was very similar to a traditional Samaritan hotline centre in the United Kingdom that provided value-free, non-judgmental emotional support for suicidal callers through active listening. In March 1998, the operating hours of the hotline were extended to 24 hours.

The year 1998 saw a major breakthrough in SPS's services. Funded by the Lotteries Fund, a pilot project - Outreach Elderly Suicide Prevention Service - was launched in May 1998. The project, being the first of its kind in Hong Kong, soon placed SPS in a leading position in elderly suicide. The project also yields a high success rate. Some 80% of the elderly clients covered by this project have shown positive changes following our intervention.

The summer of 1998 also witnessed Befrienders International's withdrawal from Hong Kong. Since then, SPS has been operating as an independent agency assuming full admin and financial responsibility on her own. Nevertheless, as a Full Member of it, we still maintain a rather close relationship with Befrienders International.

In July 2000, the English name of us was further changed to Suicide Prevention Services to refer the widening service scope of our organisation. At present, SPS has more than 200 volunteers. Apart from hotline and elderly services, we are also actively engaged in youth suicide prevention and academic researches on suicide with different community partners.

Our Patrons


Mrs. Selina Tsang, wife of the Chief Executive HKSAR

Mrs. Wendy Kwok

Message of the Chairperson

Welcome to the new website of Suicide Prevention Services!

The past ten years witnessed the transformation of Suicide Prevention Services from a traditional Samaritan hotline centre with a few volunteers to the present form providing far wider spectrum of services for despairing and suicidal people of all ages in Hong Kong. SPS now has over 220 volunteers. Apart from manning a 24-hour Suicide Prevention Hotline and a highly successful Outreach Elderly Suicide Prevention Service, we are also actively engaged in youth suicide prevention and research studies on suicide.

By March 2005, our hotline has handled 170,000 help-seeking calls. Our outreach elderly project (1998-2002) paying home visits to high-risk elderly has also contributed partially to reduction of the elderly suicide rate in Hong Kong*:

1998	33.3 in 100,000
1999	29.2 in 100,000
2000	30.7 in 100,000
2001	29.9 in 100,000
2002	28.4 in 100,000

(*source: The Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention)

To sustain our efforts, we need your support. You may either join SPS as a volunteer, or send in your donations to us. In either case, you are truly making Hong Kong a place of love and caring. Thank you.

Mrs Wendy Kwok
Chairperson
Suicide Prevention Services
June 2005