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PolyU researchers are devoted to creating solutions for the betterment of society with the integration of academic, scientific, and pragmatic expertise. To enhance the psychosocial well-being of different community groups, five PolyU projects have received funding support under Phase 2 of the Government’s Mental Health Initiatives Funding Scheme coordinated by the Advisory Committee on Mental Health. The projects will develop innovative social services programmes to enhance public mental health.

 

The five awarded projects are conducted by the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, covering periods of 15 to 24 months. They aim at devising sustainable solutions to address the mental health issues of different people, by applying new technology such as virtual reality and electronic platforms to meet the needs of various stakeholders including caregivers, secondary school students, adolescents with special educational needs (SEN), carers of attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) children, and persons with disabilities.

 

Professor Sylvia Chen

Project Title:

Reducing Social Avoidance and Enhancing Prosocial Behaviour among Adolescents with SEN

Principal
Investigator:

Professor Sylvia Chen
Associate Dean, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences;

Professor, Department of Applied Social Sciences

Summary:

The project implements social anxiety interventions based on a cognitivebehavioural approach. It involves the development of a virtual coach acting as a therapist and a gamified prosocial virtual reality intervention which can foster the prosocial behaviour of adolescents with SEN.

 

Dr Angel Lai

Project Title:

Healing Together – Building Positive School Mental Health in Post-COVID Hong Kong

Principal
Investigator:

Dr Angel Lai
Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Social Sciences

Summary:

The project adopts a train-the-trainer approach to help secondary students become mental health ambassadors, promoting the mental health awareness among students, teachers, administrative staff and management of secondary schools.

 

Professor Hector Tsang Wing-hong

Project Title:

Enhancing the Mental Health of Carers of Persons with Disabilities with Support Services Delivered by Trained Carer Support Ambassadors

Principal
Investigator:

Professor Hector Tsang Wing-hong
Cally Kwong Mei Wan Professor in Psychosocial Health; Chair Professor
of Rehabilitation Sciences and Head, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences

Summary:

The project implements a short-term certificate programme for frontline workers to become Carer Support Ambassadors to deliver mental health support to carers.

 

Professor Angela Leung

Project Title:

Increasing Mental Health Literacy and Peer Support among Caregivers: An Electronic Painting and Peer Supportive (EPPS) Platform

Principal
Investigator:

Professor Angela Leung
Professor and Associate Head (Research), School of Nursing

Summary:

The project develops an EPPS Platform to enhance caregivers’ mental health literacy and peer support.

 

Dr Harry Qin

Project Title:

Peer Support Virtual Reality-based Intervention for AD/HD Carers - Stress Relieving and Empathy Improving Programme

Principal
Investigator:

Dr Harry Qin
Associate Professor, School of Nursing

Summary:

The project develops a novel peer support virtual reality-based therapy for carers to reduce their stress and improve their empathy in handling children with AD/HD.