Prof. Paul Yip

sfpyip@hku.hk
(852) 3917 4375
CJT-512
 HKU Research Hub
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Prof. YIP S.F. Paul

Professor, Chair of Population Health

Professor Yip is the Chair Professor (Population Health) at the Department of Social Work and Social Administration, Associate Dean (Knowledge Exchange and Development) at the Faculty of Social Sciences, and the Director of the University’s HKJC Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention. He is the principal investigator of the following: OPENUP – a 24 hour online emotional support project, a community-based suicide prevention project for the Wong Tai Sin District, poverty alleviation programs, and the Quality Thematic Network on developing mental wellness for schools in Hong Kong etc.  He is interested in identifying and developing good practices for promoting wellbeing in the community. His monograph is on ‘Understanding Poverty in Hong Kong’, which has won the 11th Hong Kong Book Prize held. He is serving as the Chair of the Research Committee of the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong (2012-present), and was the interim chair of the ESEAOR of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (2017-2018), the Secretary General of Asian Population Association (2014-2017), the chairman of the committee of preventing students’ suicide (2016), a member of the Steering Committee on Population Policy (2012-2013), a vice-president of the International Association of Suicide Prevention (2009-2013), and an associate member of the Central Policy Unit of the Hong Kong SAR Government (2014-2016). He has received various awards and recognitions, including the Rehabilitation International Centennial Award  for significant contribution in 2023; Hong Kong Spirit Award by the South China Morning Post and Sino Group in 2021, the Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship in 2020, Australia-China Alumni Award (Research) in 2019, a Medal of Honor from the Hong Kong SAR Government in 2017, the Stengel Research award in 2012, an outstanding supervisor and researcher of the University of Hong Kong in 2009, 2011 and 2017 respectively, and a distinguished alumni of La Trobe University in 2008. He has published more than 500 research papers relating to population health and suicide prevention. His Chinese books include “Understanding Poverty in Hong Kong (Third Edition)”, “Be with You: Learning from Suicide Notes”, and “Understanding Poverty in Hong Kong (Revised Edition)”.

Publications

  • Fong, T. C. T., Cheng, Q., Pai, C. Y., Kwan, I., Wong, C., Cheung, S.-H., Yip, P. S. F. (2023). Uncovering sample heterogeneity in gaming and social withdrawal behaviors in adolescent and young adult gamers in Hong Kong. Social Science & Medicine, 321, 115774. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115774
  • Chen, Y.-Y., Yang, C.-T., Yip, P. S. F. (2023). The increase in suicide risk in older adults in Taiwan during the COVID-19 outbreak. Journal of Affective Disorders, 327, 391-396. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.02.006
  • Junus, A., Kwan, C., Wong, C., Chan, Z., Yip, P. S. F. (2023). Shifts in patterns of help-seeking during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Hong Kong’s younger generation. Social Science & Medicine, 318, 115648. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115648
  • Li, Z., Fong, T. C. T., Yip, P. S. F. (2023). Helping intentions toward suicidal people among young adults: Patterns, transitions, and influencing factors. Journal of Affective Disorders, 325, 611-617. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.058
  • Bi, K., Chan, C. S., Xiao, Y., Yip, P. S. F. (2023). The Indirect Effect of Sleep on the Association Between Protracted Social Stressors and Psychological Distress Among Hong Kong Young People. Journal of Adolescent Health. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.11.243.
  • Chan, C.S., Yang, C.T., Xu, Y., He, L., Yip, P. S. F. (2022). Variability in the psychological impact of four waves of COVID-19: A time-series study of 60,000 text-based counseling sessions. Psychol Med. 2022 Mar 1:1-37. doi: 10.1017/S0033291722000587.
  • Yip, P. S. F., Pinkney, E. (2022). Social media and suicide in social movements: a case study in Hong Kong. J Comput Soc Sc.
  • Yip, P., Yeung, C., Chen, Y., Lai, C., & Wong, C. (2022). An evaluation of the long‐term sustainability of suicide prevention programs in an offshore Island. Suicide & Life-threatening Behavior, 52(1), 4-13.
  • Cai, Z., Chen, M., Ye, P., & Yip, P. S. F.(2022). Socio-economic determinants of suicide rates in transforming China: A spatial-temporal analysis from 1990 to 2015. The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific, 19.
  • Men, Y. V., Yeung, C. Y., & Yip, P. S. F.(2022). The association between unemployment and suicide among employed and unemployed people in Hong Kong: A time-series analysis. Journal of affective disorders, 305, 240-243.
  • Yip, P. S. F., Zheng, Y., & Wong, C. (2022). Demographic and epidemiological decomposition analysis of global changes in suicide rates and numbers over the period 1990–2019. Injury prevention, 28(2), 117-124.
  • Men, Y. V., Lam, T. C., Yeung, C. Y., & Yip, P. S. F. (2021). Understanding the impact of clinical characteristics and healthcare utilizations on suicide among cancer sufferers: a case-control study in Hong Kong. The Lancet Regional Health-Western Pacific, 17, 100298.
  • Yip, P. S. F., Chan, W.L., Cheng, Q., Chow, S., Hsu, S.M., Law, Y.W., Lo, B., Ngai, K., Wong, K.Y., Xiong, C., Yeung, T.K. (2020). A 24-hour Online Youth Emotional Support: Opportunities and Challenges. Lancet Regional Health -West Pacific. Vol 4 100047
  • Yip, P. S. F., et al. (2020). Is there gender bias in research grant success in social sciences?: Hong Kong as a case study. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 7(1).

Externally funded research

  • A community-based support programme to enhance mental well-being of older adults in the Wong Tai Sin
  • Mental Health for Youth
  • Thematic Network on Promoting Wellness in School (2020/21 School Year)
  • Early Identification and Intervention of Youth Suicide Clusters in Hong Kong
  • Social Impact Assessment on Health School Programme
  • Online Youth Emotional Support

Honor

  • Rehabilitation International Centennial Award (2023)
  • Hong Kong Spirit Award by the South China Morning Post and Sino Group (2021)
  • Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship (2020)
  • Australia-China Alumni Award (Research) (2019)
  • Medal of Honor from the Hong Kong SAR Government (2017)
  • Stengel Research award (2012)
  • Outstanding supervisor and researcher of the University of Hong Kong (2009, 2011 and 2017 Distinguished alumni of La Trobe University (2008)

Key Community Services

  • Chair of the Research Committee of the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong (2012-present)
  • Associate Editor, CRISIS Journal (2014-present)
  • Associate Editor, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2012-present)
  • Member, Regional Executive Committee, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (2014-present)