Mindset

Health In Mind

The Education and Prevention Group has been working together with the Hospital Authority to develop an in-school education programme known as 'Health In Mind', which aims to increase knowledge and awareness of mental health issues among young people, their parents and teachers, and the public at large, so as to reduce stigmatization on mental illnesses in our community. While MINDSET is funding the 'Health In Mind' programme, the Ambassadors are involved in strategy formation, programme planning, implementation as well as evaluation of the project.

Objectives

Using youth as a platform, the programme aims to empower youth of required attitude and skills through experiential personal development training to become mental health advocate to promote mental wellness. The 'Health In Mind' programme aims to:

help young people to develop a more positive attitude towards the healthy state of their psychological and physical beings;
increase knowledge and awareness of mental health issues among young people, their parents and teachers, and the public at large, so as to reduce stigmatization on mental illnesses in our community; and
expose youth to a wider array of life experience and to build up their spirit of serving the others.

Content and Format

Using a peer-led approach, the Health In Mind programme aims to empower students as "mental health advocates' to promote mental health to fellow students and their parents and teachers through seven major elements:

Interactive Thematic Workshops
Student advocates undergo a series of interactive workshops and experiential activities by medical professionals to obtain knowledge in mental health issues. Nine major topics covered include self-image, self-confidence, emotion, sex, peer relationship, family relationships, temptations, self-destruction and care for others.
Volunteer Services
Student advocates carry out a series of volunteer services at hospitals or with other non-governmental organizations. Through direct interaction with in-patients and rehabilitated patients, this aims to change students' attitude on people with mental problem.
Interactive Learning with Jardine Ambassadors and Social Workers
Led by the Jardine Ambassadors, student advocates share and discuss the experience and knowledge acquired from workshops and volunteer services.
In-school Activities
Student advocates of the Health In Mind Club organize various events and activities, such as exhibitions, slogan and drama competition, book fairs, talks and open forums, etc, in their schools to promote mental health.
Parent and Teacher Seminars
Seminars for parents and teachers to train them to be 'mental health advocates' at each participating school.
Health In Mind Website (www.healthinmind.org.hk)
A platform to spread mental health messages to the public at large and to excavate the programme.
Media Publicity cum Public Education
Via media publicity like radio and newspapers coverage, the advocates share their experience gained from the programme and to promote mental health to the general public.

Key Players

While the Jardine Matheson Group is funding the 'Health In Mind' programme, the Jardine Ambassadors are involved in strategy formation, programme planning, implementation as well as evaluation of the programme. They also acted as facilitators and mentors in activities.

Kwai Chung Hospital, plays the role as the Chief Operating Manager to ensure successful delivery of the programme. It also leverages on its vast community networks and wealth of professional expertise, from both the clinical and non-clinical areas and from different disciplines within and outside the organizations to support this programme.

Schools also play an important part. Teachers and students participate in developing programme plans and the designing of in-school activities in-line with the programme's objectives. It is anticipated that schools after joining this programme will be able to help promote the idea of mental health to their local communities and to become models to promote and advise on future participating schools. Schools should be able to run mental health promotion activities on their own in the long run.

Result Obtained

The Health In Mind programme has proved to be a workable model in promoting mental wellness and reducing stigma associated with mental illness. The Centre on Behavioural Health of the University of Hong Kong has conducted assessment on the effectiveness of the programme for three consecutive years (2004- 2006), all with very positive results. Students who have participated in the programme demonstrate an improvement in self-esteem, spiritual well being and general mental health. Thus far, 27 secondary schools from all over Hong Kong have joined Health in Mind and more than 30,000 students as well as their parents and teachers have benefited from the programme.