Even before Hong Kong’s long summer of discontent began, the territory’s hard-working population was feeling the strain of living in one of the most expensive and crowded cities in the world.

Compared with the west, working hours are long and at the end of the day most employees return to homes that are much smaller and often shared with several generations of the same family.

The frequently violent anti-government protests that began in June have only added to the anxiety felt by many employees. “You’d be naive to think that the level of stress is not rising across Hong Kong,” says Anthony Davies, chief executive of Barclays bank’s Hong Kong branch.