Students’ understanding of generic skills development in a university in Hong Kong

For many years universities around the world have placed students’ development of generic skills high on the agenda. However, limited empirical studies can be found on how these generic learning outcomes are achieved within the curriculum. This paper reports some initial qualitative findings of interview data on students’ understanding of generic skills and their experiences of such development in university. The findings will inform the development a survey instrument for use in a subsequent part of the present study and for further research in the local and international higher education arena.postprin

Effectiveness of a universal school-based programme for preventing depression in Chinese adolescents: a quasi-experimental pilot study

BACKGROUND: Evidence of the effectiveness, rather than efficacy, of universal school-based programmes for preventing depression among adolescents is limited. This study examined the effectiveness of a universal depression prevention programme, 'The Little Prince is Depressed' (LPD), which adopted the cognitive-behavioural model and aimed to reduce depressive symptoms and enhance protective factors of depression among secondary school students in Hong Kong. METHODS: A quasi-experimental design was adopted for this pilot study. Thirteen classes were assigned to the intervention or control conditions according to the deliberation of the programme administrator of the four participating schools. Implementation was carried out in two phases, with a professional-led first phase and teacher-led programme second phase. LPD consisted of a 12-week school-based face-to-face programme with psycho-educational lessons and homework assignments. RESULTS: Students completed the programme generally showed positive development in help-seeking attitudes and self-esteem. For students who had more depressive symptoms at pre-assessment, the programme was found to be significant in enhancing cognitive-restructuring skills and support-seeking behaviours. The programme was not, however, found to be statistically significant in reducing depressive symptoms of the participants over the study period. LIMITATIONS: A small sample size, a high attrition rate, and a short follow-up time frame. CONCLUSIONS: The LPD programme was successful in building resilience of the students in general and enhancing the cognitive-behavioural skills of students with depressive symptoms. While we did not find sufficient evidence for concluding that the LPD was effective in reducing depressive symptoms, we believe that these results highlight the challenges of implementing evidence-based practices generated from highly controlled environments in real-life settings.postprin

Suicide in Hong Kong: A case-control psychological autopsy study

Background. The relative contribution of psychosocial and clinical risk factors to suicide among Chinese populations is an important issue. In Hong Kong, this issue requires vigorous examination in light of a 50% increase in suicide rate between 1997 and 2003. Method. Using a case-control psychological autopsy method, 150 suicide deceased were compared with 150 living controls matched by age and gender. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the next-of-kin of the subjects. Data were collected on a wide range of potential risk and protective factors, including demographic, life event, clinical and psychological variables. The relative contribution of these factors towards suicide was examined in a multiple logistic regression model. Results. Six factors were found to significantly and independently contribute to suicide: unemployment, indebtedness, being single, social support, psychiatric illness, and history of past attempts. Conclusions. Both psychosocial and clinical factors are important in suicides in Hong Kong. They seem to have mediated suicide risk independently. In addition, socio-economic adversities seem to have played a relatively important role in the increasing suicide rate in Hong Kong. © 2006 Cambridge University Press.published_or_final_versio

Suicide in the Hong Kong railway system: characteristics of victims and effectiveness of barriers

This study aimed to investigate the profiles of railway suicide victims in Hong Kong between 1997 and 2002, and to measure the cost-effectiveness of the recently installed platform screen doors suicide prevention. Materials and methods: This study investigated suicide deaths by “jumping or lying before moving object” in Hong Kong between 1997 and 2002, as identified the ninth and tenth revisions of the International classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Data were obtained from the Coroner” Court and Railway District the Hong Kong police Force. Generalized cost-effectiveness analysis was performed. Results: Between 1997 and 2002, 54 individuals jumped onto railway tracks in Hong Kong. Data on these fatalities showed that the majority was male 79.6% and middle-aged (mean age=44.5 years, SD=14.42).33 (61.1%,) suffered from at least one mental illness with a prevalence of psychotic disorders. More than half of the victims chose the most convenient station to jump and none of them traveled to die. After the installation of the platform screen doors, the percentage of railway suicides out of all suicide deaths dropped from 1.38% in 2001 to 0.27% in 2002. Analysis also showed cost-effectiveness of the intervention. Conclusion: The results showed that the screen doors were cost-effective to save from the railway tracks. Since victims were more likely to choose a location of higher availability and substitution effect on the tracks was unlikely, barriers walked-in to the platforms would be able to eliminate most railway suicides

Conceptualising graduate attributes and what they mean for undergraduates in Hong Kong

Temasek Polytechnic International Conference on Learning and Teaching, Singapore, 6-9 June 2010

What Can We Do to Help and Understand Survivors of Suicide in Hong Kong?

Survivors of suicide or people bereaved by suicide are underresearched and underserviced. This report contains preliminary data, collected from a psychological autopsy study, which examines the characteristics of suicide survivors in Hong Kong. This paper considers the preliminary data currently available and attempts to suggest a way forward toward understanding and help for this underrecognized group of individuals in Hong Kong. © 2007 Hogrefe & Huber Publishers.link_to_subscribed_fulltex