DH advises favorable psychological management to echo World Mental Health Day 2025
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To echo World Mental Health Day 2025, the Department of Health (DH) today (October 10) is attracting the general public to focus on their own psychological wellness which of their close ones, embrace favorable psychological management practices, develop a caring and helpful neighborhood, and motivate those in requirement to look for expert aid at an early phase. The Government introduced the “18111 – Mental Health Support Hotline” in 2023, supplying 24-hour one-stop assistance for people experiencing psychological distress. Because its launch approximately completion of last month, more than 200 000 calls have actually been gotten. The Government’s one-stop thematic site “Shall We Talk” (shallwetalk.hk) likewise combines different psychological health hotlines and assistance services for simple gain access to by individuals in requirement.
The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) designates October 10 every year as World Mental Health Day to raise worldwide awareness of psychological health and to mobilise social assistance. This year’s style is “Access to Mental Health Services in Catastrophes and Emergencies”
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government connects excellent value to public psychological health. In case of disasters and emergency situations, the Hong Kong Red Cross stands all set to offer instant psychological health assistance services. On the other hand, the Government has actually long been supplying psychological health services to the general public through an incorporated and multidisciplinary method, with an objective to boost the general public’s psychological wellness.
On the promo and avoidance front, the DH and the Advisory Committee on Mental Health collectively carried out the “Shall We Talk” psychological health promo and public education effort through a one-stop thematic site (shallwetalk.hk), social networks pages, tv and radio programs, in addition to roaming outreach programs in tertiary organizations and the neighborhood to promote psychological health messages. To assist in early recognition and offer prompt interventions and treatment, the Government has actually introduced the Healthy Mind Pilot Project at 3 District Health Centres (DHC)/ Expresses (DHCE) to supply totally free mental-health evaluations and follow-up services. The Government will extend the job in 2026 to cover 6 more DHCs (i.e. an overall of 9 DHCs), with follow-up services to be supplied by professionals with a scholastic background and training in fields such as psychology or counselling. Furthermore, to support the psychological wellness of ethnic minorities (EMs), the Government revealed in the 2025 Policy Address that it would extend the pilot task to supply psychological assistance and counselling services for EMs for 2 years.
To cater for the requirements of various groups, the Government has actually likewise developed various targeted techniques:
Trainees
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The Government will regularise the execution of the Three-tier Emergency Mechanism in secondary schools and extend it on a trial basis to Primary Four to Six trainees to enhance assistance for trainees in requirement. The DH likewise promotes psychological health at schools through the Whole School Health Programme, with standards and lists offered to taking part schools. Health reports will be put together for each getting involved school to suggest targeted school-based procedures to promote exercise, healthy consuming, psychological health and social wellness to enhance the physical and mental health of trainees. The DH carries out yearly health evaluations for all main and secondary day-school trainees, consisting of psychosocial assessments through scientific evaluations or surveys. Trainees discovered to have psychosocial or behavioural issues will get an instant threat evaluation and assistance, along with recommendations to medical psychologists of the Student Health Service or other organisations for more evaluation and treatment.
Senior individuals
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The DH deals with appropriate departments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to provide health talks, workshops, and training for senior individuals, their carers, and volunteers to promote psychological wellness amongst the senior and resolve their typical psychological concerns, such as anxiety, stress and anxiety and dementia, while raising public awareness through numerous media on senior psychological health, consisting of the avoidance of senior suicide. The Elderly Health Centres under the DH likewise offer health evaluations for members utilizing globally identified health tools adjusted for regional senior, intending to identify and avoid anxiety and self-destructive dangers early amongst the senior.
Working population
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The DH works together with the Labour Department and Occupational Safety and Health Council to perform the Mental Health Workplace Charter to motivate companies to offer psychological health-friendly offices and applaud schools and organisations that can set up a particular variety of employee to get psychological health training, such as psychological health emergency treatment.
The Government motivates people in requirement to look for early expert aid or call the Mental Health Support Hotline to get instant help. Of the over 200 000 calls got, 509 calls were described the Social Welfare Department’s Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness and designated hotline for carer assistance, the Hospital Authority’s psychological health hotlines, or NGOs for follow up.
The Government will continue to embrace a multipronged method to promote close cooperation amongst federal government departments and NGOs, completely using neighborhood resources, experience, and networks to establish a multidisciplinary tiered structure. The “Stepped Care Model for Mental Health” is anticipated to be settled by the end of this year to much better address psychological health difficulties, and construct a caring and unified society.