One investor who lost HK$300,000 (US$38,500) committed suicide on Nov. 21, while the family of another man who leapt to his death on Nov. 27, said he’d lost money on the stock market, the South China Morning Post said.

Paul Yip, director of University of Hong Kong’s Center for Suicide Research and Prevention, said these incidents were “the tip of the iceberg.”

A study by Yip said investment losses were the fifth major cause of debt associated with suicides.

“Dramatic fluctuations in the stock market are a growing concern, as the psychological stress generated from market fluctuations within a short period of time is tremendous,” he said.

Two organizations, Caritas and the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, which offer counselling services have seen a significant rise in the number of callers seeking advice as a result of investment losses in recent months.

Tung Wah said it had handled 81 debt cases linked to investment failures between April and November, compared with 39 in the same period last year.

Tung Wah official Henry Chan Fuk-lung said the increase was apparent after August when stocks plunged on U.S. subprime mortgage woes. “Investors can lose no matter whether the market surges or plunges — it depends on how they invest,” he said.

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