TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of a peer‐led intervention combining mental health promotion with coping‐strategy‐based workshops on mental health awareness, help‐seeking behavior, and wellbeing among university students in Hong Kong
AU - Ahorsu, Daniel Kwasi
AU - Sánchez Vidaña, Dalinda Isabel
AU - Lipardo, Donald
AU - Shah, Parth Bharat
AU - Cruz González, Pablo
AU - Shende, Sachin
AU - Gurung, Shilpa
AU - Venkatesan, Harun
AU - Duongthipthewa, Anchalee
AU - Ansari, Talha Qasim
AU - Schoeb, Veronika
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to acknowledge Mr. Lau Ming Wai, Chairman of the Commission on Youth in Hong Kong for his kind donation to the WeCare fund to support the present project. We would also like to acknowledge Dr. Siu Wai Lit, Ms. Vincci Lau, Ms. Wing Fung, Mr. William Tsang from the Office of Counselling and Wellness at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University for their support to carry out the project. Finally, we would like to acknowledge Mr. Ivan Chung, Mr. Christopher Hor, and the staff of the Office of Student Resources and Residential Life for their support to facilitate the implementation of the suicide prevention project.
Funding Information:
The project implementation was supported by the WeCare fund (WCF2016_07_002 and WCFBP-2017/04/003) from the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at The University of Hong Kong.
Funding Information:
The current study was an offshoot of a student-initiated youth suicide prevention project called “Game of Tones” which was sponsored by the WeCare Fund of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention of the University of Hong Kong. The aim of WeCare fund projects was to encourage students to initiate, plan, organize, and implement a mental health related projects for their peers to participate at their own campuses. The peer-led term is used in the present study because the authors who implemented the project and the target population of the project were students from the same institution which was a condition of the WeCare Fund. The “Game of Tones” Project was made open to any bona fide university student of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Invitations to participate were sent via email, disseminated using brochures and promoted using posters paste on campus and student hall bulletin boards.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/1/9
Y1 - 2021/1/9
N2 - Background: The psychological well-being of university students is an important factor in successfully coping with the demands of academic life. This study aimed to assess the impact of a peer-led intervention of mental health promotion combined with coping-strategy-based group workshops on mental health awareness and help-seeking behavior among university students in Hong Kong. Method: A mixed-method concurrent design was used for this study. Quantitative data, based on one-group pretest-posttest design, were collected using Mental Health Knowledge Schedule Questionnaire to assess mental health awareness, and Attitude Towards Seeking Professional Help Questionnaire-Short Form to examine help-seeking behavior of university students from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Qualitative data were collected from written post-activity reflections and focus group discussions which were thematically analyzed. Results: A total of 62 university students (mean age: 23.2 ± 5.1 years) were included in this study. Mental health awareness was significantly improved (p = 0.015, 95% Confidence Interval of − 2.670, − 0.297) after program implementation. Help-seeking behavior mean score increased from pretest to posttest, however, no significant difference was observed (p = 0.188, 95% CI = − 1.775, 0.355). Qualitative analysis revealed that the program helped participants learn about coping strategies to help themselves and others with mental health challenges. Conclusions: The peer-led intervention provided a positive impact through increased mental health awareness and knowledge of coping strategies on self-help and helping others among university students. Further study could focus on the impact of the program when applied regularly throughout the entire academic year.
AB - Background: The psychological well-being of university students is an important factor in successfully coping with the demands of academic life. This study aimed to assess the impact of a peer-led intervention of mental health promotion combined with coping-strategy-based group workshops on mental health awareness and help-seeking behavior among university students in Hong Kong. Method: A mixed-method concurrent design was used for this study. Quantitative data, based on one-group pretest-posttest design, were collected using Mental Health Knowledge Schedule Questionnaire to assess mental health awareness, and Attitude Towards Seeking Professional Help Questionnaire-Short Form to examine help-seeking behavior of university students from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Qualitative data were collected from written post-activity reflections and focus group discussions which were thematically analyzed. Results: A total of 62 university students (mean age: 23.2 ± 5.1 years) were included in this study. Mental health awareness was significantly improved (p = 0.015, 95% Confidence Interval of − 2.670, − 0.297) after program implementation. Help-seeking behavior mean score increased from pretest to posttest, however, no significant difference was observed (p = 0.188, 95% CI = − 1.775, 0.355). Qualitative analysis revealed that the program helped participants learn about coping strategies to help themselves and others with mental health challenges. Conclusions: The peer-led intervention provided a positive impact through increased mental health awareness and knowledge of coping strategies on self-help and helping others among university students. Further study could focus on the impact of the program when applied regularly throughout the entire academic year.
KW - Coping skills
KW - Help‐seeking behavior
KW - Mental health
KW - Mental health promotion
KW - University students
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099006190&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s13033-020-00432-0
DO - 10.1186/s13033-020-00432-0
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85099006190
SN - 1752-4458
VL - 15
JO - International Journal of Mental Health Systems
JF - International Journal of Mental Health Systems
IS - 1
M1 - 6
ER -
