MHRC Research Seminar on 12 December 2022 (Monday)

Topic
Determinants and Treatment of Mental Health Problems

Abstract

Speaker 1 Prof. David Shum
COVID-19 one year on: Identification of at-risk group and predictors of psychological trauma

We examined the profiles and correlates of psychological trauma, compliance with preventative measures, vaccine acceptance and participation in voluntary testing during the COVID-19 pandemic among the adult population in Hong Kong. Participants who had lower levels of education, were unemployed or had no income showed greater psychological trauma symptoms, whereas female, older and more educated participants showed greater compliance with preventative measures. Participants who spent more time watching news reports of COVID-19 had greater psychological trauma, but also greater compliance.


Speaker 2 Dr Michael Yeung
Neurofeedback for mental health

Neurofeedback training, which teaches individuals to self-regulate their own brain activity through interacting with visual or auditory feedback, has emerged to be a promising neurorehabilitation method for treating depression and anxiety. This talk will introduce the concept of neurofeedback training and present an overview of the existing literature on the efficacy of neurofeedback training for alleviating mood and anxiety symptoms in adults. The limitations and future directions of this therapeutic approach will also be discussed.


Speaker 3 Dr Sally Cao
Social cognition and mental health

Having good relationships is critical for our metal health and wellbeing. This relies on social-cognitive skills, or the ability to relate to other people, both emotionally (e.g., empathy) and cognitively (e.g., theory-of-mind). This talk will present a combination of behavioural and fMRI studies showing that, social cognition is affected by group membership (i.e., if the other person is of the same race and age group as yourself), and health status (e.g., healthy vs. people with psychiatric conditions).