News

RS 45th Anniversary Research Seminar MHRC Concurrent Session Was Successfully Held

The RS 45th Anniversary Research Seminar was successfully held at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) on 27 May 2023. The seminar was organised by Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (RS) in collaboration with Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) and Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation (RCMI). The main objective of the seminar was to explore the latest advancements and state-of-the-art research in the field of rehabilitation sciences. During the seminar, members from RS, RCMI, and MHRC shared their valuable knowledge and insights under the theme of the event "Current trends in rehabilitation sciences research: Interdisciplinary collaboration, outcome, and impact.". Three distinguished keynote speakers had been invited to deliver lectures, they are Prof. Masud Husain (Professor of Neurology & Cognitive Neuroscience, Wellcome Trust Principal Fellow, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford), Prof. Alisoun J. Milne (Professor Emeritus of Social Gerontology and Social Work, University of Kent) and Prof. Rupert Lanzenberger (Professor in Clinical Neurosciences Section Head: NEUROIMAGING LABS (NIL) Division of General Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna). The seminar was also graced by esteemed guests including Dr Cissy Choi (Assistant Commissioner for Primary Healthcare 1, Primary Healthcare Office Health Bureau), Prof. Christopher Chao (Vice President – Research and Innovation, PolyU) and Prof. Qingyan Chen (Director of PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research, PolyU) . At the round up session, Prof. Hector Tsang (Interim Director of MHRC; Cally Kwong Mei Wan Professor in Psychosocial Health, Chair Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences, and Head of RS, PolyU) expressed his high satisfaction with the seminar, and highlighted its important role as a platform for productive exchanges of cutting-edge research and innovative technologies. We extend a warm thank you to everyone who participated in the seminar.  

MHRC Interim Director Prof. Hector Tsang featured in SCMP

Prof. Hector TSANG, Interim Director of MHRC, Cally Kwong Mei Wan Professor in Psychosocial Health, Head and Chair Professor of Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, in a recent interview with the South China Morning Post (SCMP), shared his views on mental health services in Hong Kong in response to a recent incident in the community. Prof. Tsang urged the Hong Kong government to reallocate more mental health-related resources from public hospitals to the community, including support services in district health centres. He pointed out the importance of community support for mental illnesses, and more resources should be placed in supporting the community integration of people with mental health needs, in addition to hospital care. “There should be a team, consisting of occupational therapists, social workers, community nurses and psychologists, closely supervising people with severe mental illnesses and providing holistic help. It is different from hospital settings where more emphasis is put on using medications ….” said Prof. Tsang. Click here to see the entire article from SCMP: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3223049/hong-kong-mall-stabbings-authorities-urged-overhaul-mental-health-services-provide-patients-more

MHRC Interim Director Prof. Hector Tsang awarded HK$ 2.4 million funding from Beat Drugs Fund

Prof. Hector TSANG, Interim Director of MHRC, Cally Kwong Mei Wan Professor in Psychosocial Health, Head and Chair Professor of Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, was awarded a grant of HKD 2.4 million from the Beat Drugs Fund to support his anti-drug education programme for local youths. The project aims at integrating creative and entertainment technology such as virtual reality (VR) and interactive robots to deliver mini films and workshops that engage young people, raise their awareness about drug use, and promote positive mental health. The community-based project will engage multiple stakeholders, including parents, teachers, social workers, counsellors and healthcare professionals, to comprehensively explore the effective approaches to drug prevention. Prof. Tsang said, “Edutainment is an effective health communication strategy to promote drug users’ community re-integration and combat the temptation of drug use, particularly the commonly misused ones like marijuana and cannabidiol (CBD), among young people. The use of innovative technology including VR in providing youngsters with simulated experience of the side-effects of drug abuse can raise their anti-drug awareness.” The Beat Drugs Fund Regular Funding Scheme aims to support projects that provide drug treatment and rehabilitation services to people with drug problems, organise preventive education and publicity programmes targeting the general public and/or specific groups, and conduct research on drug abuse problems. Congratulations to Prof. Tsang!  

MHRC Member Prof. Eric CHUI appointed as member of Mental Health Review Tribunal

Prof. Eric CHUI Wing-hong, Member of the Mental Health Research Centre, Professor and Head of the Department of Applied Social Sciences, Co-Director of Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology, was appointed as a member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal for a term of two years from 15 April 2023 to 14 April 2025. Prof. Chui has been actively involved in community and public services. He currently serves on the editorial boards of several SSCI journals and has served as a committee member or advisor of many social and public service organisations in Hong Kong. The Tribunal comprises a Chairman, 15 medical members, 15 social work members, and 15 other members with suitable experience in and knowledge of administration or clinical psychology, or other suitable qualifications or experience. The membership list of the Tribunal is available from the website of the Health Bureau. The Tribunal was set up in 1989 pursuant to the enactment of the Mental Health (Amendment) Ordinance. The function of the Tribunal is to consider applications or cases of patients who are liable to be compulsorily detained in mental hospitals or to compulsory guardianship, as well as to determine whether these patients should be discharged in accordance with the Mental Health Ordinance (Cap. 136). Congratulations to Prof. Chui!

MHRC Research Symposium Held Successfully on 10 May 2023

The PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) Conference 2023, the first and the largest event in Hong Kong higher education dedicated to professional knowledge exchange on interdisciplinary research and development, was held successfully on 8–11 May 2023. Themed on “Research Excellence for Societal Impacts”, the four-day event drew over 100 internationally renowned scholars and experts from different disciplines as distinguished speakers to share their knowledge and insights. The Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) Research Symposium was successfully completed on 10 May 2023,  attracting over 680 on site and online attendees coming from different countries and regions, including China, U.S.A., U.K., Turkey, Australia, United Arab Emirates, etc. The Centre sincerely thank Prof. Eric CHEN, Chi-Li Pao Foundation Professor in Psychiatry, Chair Professor, Clinical Professor, and Director of the Psychosis Studies and Intervention Program (PSI), The University of Hong Kong, for delivering an insightful keynote speech on the topic of “Youth Mental Health in Hong Kong: Challenges and Response During the Pandemic Years and Beyond”. The Centre also thank six other speakers, including Prof. Benjamin YEE, Dr William TAI, Dr Yim Wah MAK, Dr Jessie LIN, Dr Shimin ZHU, and Dr William CHAN, for sharing their research experiences and outcomes in various aspects of mental health. The Symposium featured presentation of 14 posters that showcased the latest development in a range of topics in mental health research. The Symposium received positive feedback from the audience, with 70% of the attendees being extremely satisfied and 30% being very satisfied with the content of the presentations and the overall event experience. The Centre sincerely thank all MHRC members for their active support to the Symposium and mental health research.

Announcement of Interim Director of Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC)

This is to announce that Professor David MAN, Director of MHRC will depart from the University’s service on 1 May 2023 to pursue new endeavours. Prof. David Man's leadership and contributions have demonstrated the excellent performance and achievements of the Mental Health Research Center. Under his guidance, the center has organized many seminars and conferences, as well as successfully obtained research funding, enabling it to carry out more in-depth studies on mental health and further promote the development of mental health research. Mental Health Research Centre would like to take this opportunity to thank Professor David Man sincerely for his great contribution to MHRC and wish him a bright future. Professor Hector TSANG Wing-hong, Head and Chair Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Associate Director of MHRC, will be appointed Interim Director of MHRC with effect from 1 May 2023 to lead MHRC to another high level.

DoMHRC introduces PolyU’s COVID-19 research and tech-aided cognitive training for elderly on RTHK radio programme

Prof. David MAN, Director of the Mental Health Research Centre and Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences of PolyU, was featured on RTHK radio programme “Under the Sun” on 12 and 19 March. He introduced respectively, research studies on COVID-19, including viral tracing, post-infection rehabilitation, and the Prevention-Protection-Promotion approach in preventing infection and enhancing recovery, as well as how technologies like VR, AR, MR (Mix Reality) and AI can be applied in the cognitive training for elderly.   Online coverage: RTHK - https://polyu.me/3nBfTOH (12 March 2023 04:00 - 24:20) (Cantonese only) RTHK - https://polyu.me/3nBfTOH (19 March 2023 0:55 - 21:55) (Cantonese only)

Congratulations to MHRC Member Dr Bryant P. H. Hui on being selected as the "APS Rising Star"!

Dr Bryant P. H. Hui has been nominated and selected as one of the 48 Rising Stars of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), standing out among 200 candidates from 18 countries. This year, he is the only researcher in Hong Kong to receive the honor. The Rising Star designation recognizes outstanding APS members in the earliest stages of their post-PhD research career. Individuals being considered for the designation are evaluated for their promise of excellence in research based on several criteria, such as significant publications, significant recognitions, significant discoveries, commitment to diversity in science, work with broad impact, and demonstrated independence from mentors.  Dr Hui is dedicated to examining the key factors that underpin human prosocial behavior and well-being. His research findings have been published in internationally-renowned journals and cited extensively. Currently, Dr Hui focuses on applying research output to make a difference. He is now developing effective interventions to promote acts of kindness, along with several projects that are likely to transform into innovative practices that benefit humanity and bring positive social impacts. The full list of 2023 award winners are available here: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/members/awards-and-honors/aps-rising-stars/news-rising-stars

First PAIR Conference coming in May!

PAIR is organising the first PAIR Conference 2023 – Research Excellence for Societal Impacts, in hybrid mode (online and on PolyU campus), on 8–11 May 2023 (Monday–Thursday).   The four-day PAIR Conference is the first and the largest event in Hong Kong higher education dedicated to professional knowledge exchange on interdisciplinary research and development. It provides a platform for professional exchange and closer collaboration among stakeholders from various fields in industry, academia, and governments around the world to build the capacities in science, technology, innovation and research.   Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) will hold a half-day research showcase on 10 May 2023 (Wednesday), including a keynote session, technical sessions and poster sessions to exhibit members' projects on mental health and well-being topics. We welcome industry practitioners and PolyU expert researchers to participate, discuss and exchange viewpoints on related topics.   Registration is now open. For Conference details, please visit www.polyu.edu.hk/pairconference2023/.

Two MHRC Associate Directors receive over HK$3.2 million funding from the Health Bureau of the HKSAR Government

Two projects led by two Associate Directors of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC), Prof. Hector TSANG, Chair Professor and Head of Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, and Prof. Sylvia CHEN, Associate Dean of Faculty of Health and Social Sciences and Professor of the Department of Applied Social Sciences, received funding totaling HK$3.2 million in Phase 2 of the Mental Health Initiatives Funding Scheme of the Health Bureau. Launched in 2021 and coordinated by the Advisory Committee on Mental Health, the Scheme aims to fund projects that could help provide better support to those in need in the community and to raise public awareness on mental health. The two awarded projects devise sustainable solutions to address the mental health issues of different people, including the implementation of short-term certificate programmes for caregivers of persons with disabilities, and the application of virtual reality technology to support adolescents with special educational needs (SEN). Prof. David SHUM, Dean of the Faulty of Health and Social Sciences, member of MHRC, said, “Mental health is an imperative issue that we cannot ignore. Under the impact of the pandemic in recent years, different groups in the community are faced with urgent needs for mental health support. The Faculty of Health and Social Sciences has been committed to mental health research over the years. The funding support combined with our strengths in scientific research and practice will bring impactful solutions for the benefit of various community groups.” Two projects awarded under Phase 2 of the Mental Health Initiatives Funding Scheme: Principal Investigator: Prof. Hector TSANG Associate Director of MHRC, Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences Project Title: Enhancing the Mental Health of Carers of Persons with Disabilities with Support Services Delivered by Trained Carer Support Ambassadors Project Summary: The project aims to support carers of persons with disabilities. It will implement a short-term certificate programme for frontline workers such as occupational therapy assistants, rehabilitation assistants, patient care assistants and welfare workers to become Carer Support Ambassadors who will deliver mental health support to carers. This innovative approach is designed to address the shortage of manpower in mental health services and the growing support needs for carers. Funded Amount: HK$1.3 million   Principal Investigator: Prof. Sylvia CHEN Associate Director of MHRC, Associate Dean of Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Professor of the Department of Applied Social Sciences Project Title: Reducing Social Avoidance and Enhancing Prosocial Behaviour among Adolescents with Special Educational Needs Project Summary: The project aims to foster prosocial behaviour of adolescents with special educational needs (SEN) in transition with the use of virtual reality (VR) technology. It will implement social anxiety intervention based on a cognitive-behavioural approach with a virtual coach acting as the therapist and develop a gamified prosocial VR intervention for adolescents with SEN. This VR-assisted social avoidance and prosocial behaviour intervention would benefit individuals and society by cultivating psychological and socially healthy young people. Funded Amount: HK$1.9 million Co-PIs: Prof. Winnie Mak (Member of MHRC and Professor, Department of Psychology, CUHK) Dr Bryant Hui (Member of MHRC and Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Social Sciences, PolyU) Co-Is: Dr Jeffrey Ho (Assistant Professor, School of Design, PolyU) Dr Richard Li (Research Assistant Professor, Department of Computing, PolyU) Dr Rosetta Wong (Teaching Fellow, Department of Applied Social Sciences, PolyU)