Conference Programme
Day 1 - 22/4/2022 (Fri)
(All in HKT time zone: UTC+8 hours)
All programmes conducted in English unless otherwise specified.
08:45-09:00
Opening
09:00-09:45
Keynote 1
Youth mental health reform: national and international progress
Prof Patrick MCGORRY (Orygen / University of Melbourne)
Session Chair: Prof Eric CHEN (The University of Hong Kong)
Synopsis
Background The major disorders of adult life emerge during the transition between puberty and mature adulthood. The mental health of young people has been declining in recent years and this trend has accelerated in response to the pandemic. There has been a global recognition of the need to restructure mental health care around a new paradigm of youth mental health and reform has gained momentum in a number of countries, sparked by Australian innovations.
Objectives To inform delegates about national and global progress in youth mental health.
Methods Narrative review and integration of results and a range of other data and experience.
Findings More than 10 nations have established novel youth mental health services and Victoria has produced a blueprint to fully align specialist youth mental health care with primary for the 12 – 25 age range.
Conclusions Youth mental health is a top priority for preventively oriented mental health care and a best buy for the health care system generally. Australia is uniquely placed to spearhead this paradigm shift.
09:45-10:30
Keynote 2
What we have learned about youth mental health care from 16 years of implementing headspace in Australia
Prof Debra RICKWOOD (University of Canberra)
Session Chair: Prof Eric CHEN (The University of Hong Kong)
Synopsis
headspace is Australia’s National Youth Mental Health Foundation, initiated by the Australian Government in 2006 to address young people’s high level of need for youth mental health services but lack of access to appropriate services and reluctance to engage with mental health care. headspace aims to provide easily accessible, youth-oriented, early intervention, primary and secondary care services addressing young people’s main mental health needs. From implementation of the first 10 headspace centres, there has been rapid and continual scaling up to provide the current 145+ services across the vastness and diversity that is Australia. Implementation has entailed building the headspace platform through brand recognition and trust, working in online and school settings, extending services beyond addressing high prevalence disorders, and expanding the model through satellite and outreach approaches. headspace has had to learn on the run, concurrently designing, innovating and implementing, and needing to build a sophisticated data collection system, as well as engage in a wide range of research and evaluation activities. The essential components of the headspace model have been identified, as well as critical gaps that need to be filled going forward. This presentation will highlight what we have learned to be critical for youth mental health care from the past 16 years implementing headspace and what headspace plans to focus on going forward to continue to advance the future of youth mental health care.
13:45-15:15
Symposium (in Cantonese)
Youth mental wellness in Hong Kong: Shall we talk?
Session Chair: Dr Gloria Wong (The University of Hong Kong) and
Dr Sherry Chan (The University of Hong Kong)
Sharing Speakers & Panel Members
Miss Angel CHAN Hoi-yi (Advisory Committee on Mental Health)
Ms Lily CHAN (St Paul's College)
Prof Eric CHEN (LevelMind@JC/The University of Hong Kong/Advisory Committee on Mental Health)
Mr Ikey CHEUNG Ho-yuen (Advisory Committee on Mental Health)
Mr Toto CHEUNG (The University of Hong Kong)
Ms Bernice CHIANG (St. James Settlement)
Mr CK CHING (Director, The Mental Health Association of Hong Kong)
Mr LAI Wing Hoi, Frederick (Caritas-Hong Kong)
Ms Eunice LEE (Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service)
Dr LEUNG Chung Ming (LevelMind@JC)
Dr Simon LUI (LevelMind@JC)
Prof Terry LUM (LevelMind@JC/The University of Hong Kong)
Ms Yenni NG (The University of Hong Kong)
Ms Hiuning TAI (LevelMind@JC)
Ms Angela WONG (Tung Wah Group of Hospitals)
Synopsis
“The neglect of youth mental health is a form of self-harm that society has inflicted on itself.” To support youth mental health and heal our society, eight principles were proposed in the Global Framework for Youth Mental Health (2020), which are rapid, easy and affordable access; youth-specific care; awareness, engagement and integration; early intervention; youth partnership; family engagement and support; continuous improvement; and prevention. For Hong Kong to move forward and align with these principles, an open dialogue between young people and various stakeholders is a key step. This symposium serves as a platform to promote open, honest communication for this aim. Through a series of dialogues followed by a panel discussion, we will explore issues and concerns from perspectives of young persons, educators, mental health and other healthcare/social care providers, and family members. Discussions in the symposium will be transcribed in the format of a brief report as an advisory document for LevelMind@JC, other related services, and policymakers. Shall we talk?
15:30-16:15
Keynote 3
Mental health effects of the first Covid-19 pandemic wave in England: a mixed-methods assessment
Prof Peter JONES (University of Cambridge)
Session Chair: Dr Sherry CHAN (The University of Hong Kong)
Synopsis
The first Covid-19 pandemic wave led to massive societal responses to limit infection transmission. In England many health services saw dramatic decreases in demand while the incidence and prevalence of most conditions remained stable or, in all likelihood, increased. Many mental health services pivoted towards remote care that even penetrated acute, in-patient settings. This presentation uses routine health service data to explore the effects in England concerning mental health services, and reports a qualitative study of the impacts of the changes to clinical working practices on patients, carers and clinical staff. Finally, the wider effects of the early pandemic period will be explored through a cohort study of young adults demonstrating widespread population shifts in distress and wellbeing and investigating the role of risk and resilience factors.
16:15-17:00
Keynote 4
Roles of economics in youth mental health service and policy development
Prof Martin KNAPP (London School of Economics and Political Science)
Session Chair: Dr Gloria WONG (The University of Hong Kong)
Synopsis
Economics and mental health are intertwined in many ways. Treatment of mental health problems obviously require resources, potentially spread across a range of sectors. In relation to young people, these include, youth-specific community mental health services, school-based support, and specialist early intervention programmes targeting adolescence-onset conditions.
There is also intertwining because there are economic drivers of mental illness in children and young people: poverty, unmanageable debt and socioeconomic inequalities can all lead to or worsen mental health issues. This means that resources will also be needed if there is to investment in preventive strategies in schools, communities, workplaces (for young people or their families) or elsewhere.
Mental health issues in young people will often have consequences of an economic nature – indeed, these economic impacts can be enduring, substantial and spread across many policy sectors – for example health and social care systems, schools and other parts of the education sector, the criminal justice system, and the wider economy through employment difficulties and productivity losses. There may be spillover effects on families and friends. Young people themselves will of course frequently experience economic disadvantage because of their mental health issues.
Stakeholders across many sectors need economic evidence to decide what, when, where, to whom, and how to allocate resources so that preventive efforts, treatment services and other activities are affordable, accessible, equitable and value for money.
I will reflect on some of the available economic evidence relating to youth mental health, summarising some current evidence from economic evaluations, long-term observational studies and policy analyses. I will draw on evidence from a variety of countries to highlight what still needs to be known in terms of helpful evidence, and what needs to be done in terms of supportive policy action.