nghỉ Goodman, Ph. D.
atment of Psychology
yg Ch College
Aimeie Unsity
I, III, Hong Kong
August, 1977
WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
have been requested by the Student Union of the Chinese
Iversity of Hong Kong, in my capacity as Lecturer in Psychology,
perform a psychological analysis of the recently deceased Mr. Liu Ping- hon, ed on his writings.
diary for the past four years; his published writings; his correspondence, 31. personal and professional; and certain of his personal effects have
. submitted to me.
on my six years experience with student counselling and my study of am states of consciousness and motivation, I respectfully bring forth
Tollowing evidences and conclusions:
work.
It is doubtful that Mr. Liu was the type of suicide provoked by pressures
Even at the time of his all-important degree exam, he was still writing and publishing his witticisms. Nor was he terribly afraid or any failure that might come across his days. His published writings
testify to this; he takes a mature perspective towards the ups and downs of life, regarding them all as learning experiences.
According to P.M. Yap, author of Suicide in Hong Kong (Hong Kong University Press, 1958), the rate of suicide is high among those persons subject to economic uncertainty, large debts outstanding, and long-standing unemployment. One can rule this factor out in Mr. Liu's case, for his economic position at the time of his death was apparently better than it had ever been before.