Chief Executive's Community Project List 2023
Enhancing the Mental Health of Hong Kong’s Non-Chinese Youth Aged 15-24
Aimed at enhancing the mental health of Hong Kong's non-Chinese youth aged 15-24, this project focuses on fostering a sense of belonging, inclusivity, and positive mental health. Over a 3-year period, the team will implement tailored activities, initiatives, and programs. The project is scheduled to launch at the end of 2023 or early in 2024.
The project is led Professor Naubahar Sharif of the Division of Public Policy at HKUST and is funded by a HK$13.72 million grant from the prestigious "Chief Executive's Community Project List 2023." This funding is made available by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and is allocated by the Chief Executive to innovative and impactful projects. Priority is given to projects that are supported by the relevant policy bureau, in this case, the Health Bureau.
Project Objectives
The key objectives are to improve the mental health of the ethnic minority youth, assist their integration into mainstream Hong Kong society, and help them ascend the social ladder more comfortably. Additionally, the project aims to undertake rigorous, original, academic research on this area leading to cutting-edge scholarly insights that will be published in relevant reputable academic journals. This project is designed to fill both the service and scholarly gap in mental health pertaining to ethnic minority youth aged 15-24
Target Groups
The strategic approach divides the target demographic into three specific categories: School-aged youth (15-18), students in higher education (18-24), and working youth (15-24). This segmentation ensures the development of tailored interventions for each group, thereby addressing their unique needs and stressors.
- School-aged youth (15-18): The project will focus on providing educational support, skills development, and mental health awareness workshops in schools. The project team will collaborate with EM-dominated schools to integrate mental health education.
- Students in higher education (18-24): The project team will provide support services within higher education institutions, such as mental health counselling, stress management workshops, and career guidance.
- Working youth (15-24): For this group, the project team will focus on providing support in the workplace and community settings. This includes offering mental health workshops and resources, promoting awareness of mental health rights, and facilitating networking and mentorship opportunities.
Project Framework
The broad framework situates the ethnic minority youth in their social circles as individuals, as part of families, and as part of friend or work networks. The project team aims to enhance values such as responsibility, resilience, perseverance, positive mindset, purpose-in-life, self-actualization in these contexts to improve their mental health.
Design Principles
The project design is grounded in principles including learning from best practices overseas, cultural sensitivity, inclusivity, youth-friendly approaches, avoiding labelling, collaboration, early intervention, peer support, accessibility, continuous evaluation, improvement, adaptability, and flexibility. These principles are aimed at respecting the unique needs and preferences of each cultural group, promoting mental health without stigma, and fostering a sense of belonging among ethnic minority youth.
This project is a proactive step towards improving and promoting mental health among Hong Kong's ethnic minority youth. By focusing on preventive measures, embracing social networks, and adopting a holistic approach, the mental health project team aim to create a long-lasting positive impact on the mental health landscape of Hong Kong's youth.
