Wellness April promotes mental wellbeing

To build a caring and mutually supported campus environment, the University always endeavours to enhance mental health awareness and improve psychological wellbeing among students.  With examinations and assignments of the term approaching, the Students Services Centre organised the Wellness April 2017  with a series of activities to help students cope with stress positively and effectively, and bring to them laughter, support and relaxation.

There were a number of interesting performances and activities immediately after the Opening Ceremony of Wellness April 2017 held on 6 April.  They included the “Music Performance Busking” and “Zentangle Art” by the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, and “Happy Me Portrait” by artist Belle Chak who can create a blind contour portrait by looking at the person without looking at the picture.  The workshops “Thinking Out of the Box” presented by a cognitive therapist and “Loving Communication: Enhance your Love Bank” delivered by Dr Victoria Hui Ka-ying, Lecturer of the Department of Applied Psycholog,y were organised to help students deal with stress arising from different aspects of interpersonal relations.  Meanwhile, a more far reaching initiative is being undertaken by Prof Siu Oi-ling, Head of Department of Applied Psychology on the “World Mental Health Survey – International College Students Project” together with The Chinese University of Hong Kong to better improve our students’ mental health in the long run. 

A Peer Counsellor Scheme was also launched during the Wellness April 2017, under which ten students are trained to promote mental health awareness and a caring culture, as well as identify students who have counseling support needs.  A Refreshing Corner was initiated and set up by the Peer Counsellors in late April, where students can walk by and take a break, grab a cup of coffee or tea and at the same time exchange words of encouragement.