Mind HK’s core mission is to ensure no one has to face a mental health problem alone. COVID-19 cases on the rise both locally and globally, meaning everyone is facing a period of unprecedented uncertainty. With people social distancing, making changes to their daily routine, transitioning to working from home, worrying about the economic implications and feeling uneasy about the future, we are incredibly concerned about the mental well-being of everyone in Hong Kong.
Why mental health?
- We’re already in a vulnerable position. Months of social unrest has already impacted general well-being, with 61% of Hongkongers reporting poor levels of mental well-being in September 2019. 1/3 of adults reported symptoms of PTSD and 11% symptoms of depression during the height of this.
- Isolation and loneliness are more likely to become a problem, with work from home requirements in place and social gatherings cancelled.
- More than 80% of Hongkongers have reported increased “mental burden” related to the outbreak, with over 50% saying they have experienced insomnia.
- Levels of anxiety have been and continue to be on the rise, due to the current situation and easy access to social media/ new channels. Uncertainty and social and economic implications are also playing into this.
- Virus or not, 1 in 7 in Hong Kong will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime. Improving support and preventative measures at this moment is urgent.
- Read more: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/covid19-mental-health-issues-hong-kong-coronavirus-1249436....
What is Mind HK doing?As a team, we are looking to support our community as much as possible at this time. We understand that this is an incredibly difficult time; feelings of anxiety, unease, and fear are completely valid. However, we know there are many small but impactful ways people can take care of their mental well-being at this time. As we collectively work towards fighting this outbreak, we risk neglecting our mental health. Mental health and physical health are interlinked – we need to take care of both to ensure we stay healthy and well during this time.
By carving out funds from our limited resources to meet urgent needs, we have put together together guidelines (available in 10 languages) and a webinar on how to support your mental health and stay well during this period of time. This is to support both the general public and organisations, small or large. These have been distributed widely and viewed over 10,000 times. You may download our guidelines and find out more about our webinar here: https://www.mind.org.hk/coronavirusoutbreakmentalhealthtips/
We are seeking funding to do more:
- Create a more comprehensive response to the virus
- Curate and disseminate more tips and training sessions to the general public, especially for more vulnerable populations
- Fast-tracking the launch of our new AI app, Help Me, which seeks to improve access to mental health information and support
- Develop and conduct more free/low-cost training and webinar opportunities online
- Promote mental well-being and online and through the media
We welcome any donation big or small, or any fundraising initiative you have in mind. All funding will support the above initiatives.
Questions? Looking for ways to help support? Want to fundraise for this initiative ? Email
[email protected]Thank you so much for your incredible support. Take care and stay healthy!