The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses particular challenges for migrant workers around the world. This study explores the unique experiences of foreign domestic workers (FDWs) in Hong Kong, and how COVID-19 impacted their health and economic wellbeing. Interviews with FDWs ( n = 15) and key informants ( n = 3) were conducted between May and August 2020. FDWs reported a dual-country experience of the pandemic, where they expressed concerns about local transmission risks as well as worries about their family members in their home country. Changes to their current work situation included how their employers treated them, as well as their employment status. FDWs also cited blind spots in the Hong Kong policy response that also affected their experience of the pandemic, including a lack of support from the Hong Kong government. Additional support is needed to mitigate the particularly negative effects of the pandemic on FDWs.

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses particular challenges for migrant workers around the world. This study explores the unique experiences of foreign domestic workers (FDWs) in Hong Kong, and how COVID-19 impacted their health and economic wellbeing. Interviews with FDWs (n = 15) and key informants (n = 3) were conducted between May and August 2020. FDWs reported a dual-country experience of the pandemic, where they expressed concerns about local transmission risks as well as worries about their family members in their home country. Changes to their current work situation included how their employers treated them, as well as their employment status. FDWs also cited blind spots in the Hong Kong policy response that also affected their experience of the pandemic, including a lack of support from the Hong Kong government. Additional support is needed to mitigate the particularly negative effects of the pandemic on FDWs.

Purpose: Marriage has long been considered protective against suicide, but shifting social norms since 2000 in Hong Kong raise doubts regarding whether this is still the case. This study investigates the changing association between suicide and marital status in Hong Kong between 2002 and 2020. Methods: Suicide death case reports issued between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2020 were obtained from the Hong Kong Coroner’s Court. Suicide rates were calculated for each year in the study period by gender, age group, and marital status (married, never-married, widowed, divorced/separated). Suicide risk ratios for each marital status cohort by gender and age group, as well as interactions between year and marital status, were estimated using Poisson regression models. Results: Suicide risk decreased significantly over time for men and women of all ages. People who were never-married, or divorced/separated, had significantly higher suicide risks than their married counterparts. Increasing suicide risks over time were observed for never-married men aged between 20 and 49 years, never-married women aged 35–49 years, and divorced/separated men aged 20–34 years. Widowed men and women of any age had higher suicide risks compared with previous studies in Hong Kong. Conclusion: Despite rapidly changing social contexts in Hong Kong during the study period, marriage remains a strong protective factor against suicide for men and women of all ages. The protective effect is particularly evident for younger people. Increasing suicide rates for divorced/separated, never-married, or widowed people suggest that they may require more psychosocial support.

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