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DH survey reflects 40 per cent of people do not have good mental health (with photo)
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     According to the findings of the Mental Health and Well-being Survey of the Joyful@HK Campaign of the Department of Health (DH), 40 per cent of the respondents do not have good mental health status. However, the mental well-being of members of the public can be enhanced through participation in pro-mental well-being activities and better identification of symptoms of common mental health problems.
 
     The DH commissioned the Department of Psychiatry of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) to conduct the Survey from November to December 2015, with the objectives of examining the mental health status of the public; the public’s awareness of and attitude towards seeking help for symptoms of common mental health problems; and the attitude and practice of the public on pro-mental well-being lifestyle activities. Telephone interviews with a total of 2,015 respondents were conducted successfully.
 
     The Survey is one of the initiatives of the Joyful@HK Campaign. The Campaign is a three-year territory-wide public education and publicity programme, which aims to increase public's engagement in promoting mental well-being and to enhance their knowledge and understanding about mental health.
 
     The Assistant Director of Health (Health Promotion), Dr Anne Fung, and the Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry of the CUHK, Professor Linda Lam Chiu-wa, released the key findings of the Survey at a press conference today (September 13). Professor Lam said, "About 40 per cent of the respondents rated their mental health status as fair (36.2 per cent) or very poor/poor (4.6 per cent) in the past six months, and 5.5 per cent of the respondents experienced severe psychological distress in the past month."
 
     The Survey reveals that respondents who have lower educational attainment, have never married, have lower monthly household income, or have very poor or poor self-rated mental and physical health status, are more likely to have severe psychological distress.
 
     "Over 70 per cent of the respondents are able to recognise major and clear symptoms of common mental health problems; while only 38 to 58 per cent of the respondents can identify subtle symptoms. Respondents who are male, aged 18 to 44, with higher monthly household income, have never consulted professionals for mental health problems or do not know anyone with mental health problems, tend to have lower level of awareness of symptoms of common mental health problems and take no action for these symptoms," Professor Lam added.
          
     "About 90 per cent of the respondents agree that pro-mental well-being lifestyle activities can enhance mental well-being. However, over 15 per cent of the respondents did not take part in any pro-mental well-being lifestyle activities in the past six months. About 20 per cent of them never conducted aerobic exercises while about 16 per cent never shared their feelings nor participated in group activities," Professor Lam said.
    
     For the sake of the public's mental well-being, Professor Lam recommended that the promotion of early identification of common mental health problems, particularly on subtle presentations, be enhanced across different age groups. Moreover, health education on common mental health problems could be targeted at specific groups including men, adolescents and adults, those with higher household income and without experience in mental health problems. The promotion of the importance of regular participation in pro-mental well-being lifestyle activities should also be strengthened.
 
      Regarding the Joyful@HK Campaign, Dr Fung, said the Campaign would continue to promote public mental health by launching various initiatives targeting different groups of citizens.
 
      The slogan of Joyful@HK is "Fun. Feel. Share", which reflects how members of the public can enhance mental well-being by integrating three key elements, namely "Sharing", "Mind" and "Enjoyment", into their daily life. "Sharing" means sharing with family and friends and offering support to the needy; "Mind" refers to keeping an open mind, perceiving things with a positive attitude and optimism; and "Enjoyment" implies engaging in enjoyable activities to maximise potential and achieve satisfaction.
 
     The thematic website of the Campaign (www.joyfulathk.hk) features a "My Pledge" webpage, on which the public can make "Sharing", "Mind" or "Enjoyment" pledges by selecting their desired icons and messages. A number of celebrities and guests have already made their pledges.
 
     To encourage the public to enjoy their lives, and to perform more aerobic activities with their family and friends, Dr Fung said the DH would launch the Joyful@HK Run on December 11. This will include the 8KM Individual Run, the 2KM Individual Run, the 3KM School Team Relay, and the 2KM Family Run. Registration for the Run will open on 19 September and details are available on the event website (www.joyfulathkrun.hk).
 
     To increase students' engagement in promoting mental well-being, the DH collaborated with the Education Bureau to launch the Joyful@School Campaign in August this year, which aims to enhance understanding of mental health among teachers, students and parents, and to encourage students to think from different angles in the face of challenges, understand and accept mental health services and seek help from others when necessary.
 
     Dr Fung appealed to schools to organise more school-based activities to promote the messages of "Sharing", "Mind" and "Enjoyment".
 
     Moreover, to further enhance the promotion of mental health in the working population, the Joyful@Healthy Workplace Programme, jointly organised by the DH and the Occupational Safety and Health Council, also commenced in August this year to promote healthy eating, physical activity, and mental well-being among employers and employees in workplaces. The Programme features the "Joyful@Healthy" Workplace Charter and the "Joyful@Healthy Workplace" Best Practices Award. All organisations are invited to sign the Charter to demonstrate their pledge to promote physical and mental well-being among themselves and to join the Programme.          
   
     "Since the launch of the Joyful@HK Campaign in January this year, a series of initiatives has been rolled out to arouse the awareness of mental well-being in the community. These include the appointment of singer Sammi Cheng as the Campaign ambassador, the launch of the theme song 'Through the Hurdles' sung by Sammi Cheng and composed by her and Ellen Lo, the launch of a thematic website and Facebook fan page, an Announcement in the Public Interest (API), a series of four-panel comic strips published at Facebook fan page, the promotion van activity, media interviews and an advertising plan," Dr Fung added.
 
     For more information on the Joyful@HK Campaign, please visit the thematic website or the Facebook fan page (fb.com/joyfulathk).
 
Ends/Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Issued at HKT 17:10
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Today's Press Releases  

Photo

The Assistant Director of Health (Health Promotion), Dr Anne Fung (right), and the Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Professor Linda Lam, released the findings of the Mental Health and Well-being Survey of the Joyful@HK Campaign, as well as introducing details of the Joyful@HK Campaign and its initiatives, at a press conference today (September 13).