Most of the spouses and children of top talent, mainly from mainland China, are struggling to adapt to life in Hong Kong and are feeling unhappy, a university study has found, with researchers calling for better support services from schools and communities.

Hang Seng University last week published a cross-subject study that began last December and involved 1,000 people who arrived as dependents of those admitted under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, with many coming from across the border.

The scheme, which was introduced in 2006, allows successful applicants to relocate to Hong Kong without a prior employment offer.

According to the research, nearly 70 per cent of spouses and 85 per cent of children reported feeling dissatisfaction, with 30 per cent of youngsters saying they were “very dissatisfied”.

The study also found that education and learning were the areas that dependents attached the most importance to, yet more than 70 per cent of them felt that studying in Hong Kong was not the right choice.