Press Releases
Mental Health Month 2005 starts today (With photo)
The Mental Health Month 2005 started today (October 8) with the launch of "Teen
and Fun" mental health camps aimed at enhancing teenagers' awareness of mental
health and encouraging them to face up positively to the stress and challenges
during their developmental years.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Mental Health Month 2005, the Permanent
Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Mrs Carrie Yau Tsang Ka-lai, said the
objective of the campaign was to heighten the younger generation's understanding
of and concern for mental health through a series of activities related to
teenagers' mental health.
Mrs Yau noted the theme of this year's Mental Health Month 2005, "Be a happy and
healthy new generation", echoed with the educational objective of this year's
World Mental Health Day --"Growing Up Well: Paying Attention to Health During
the Teen and Tween Years".
"Adopting a new format, this year's programmes will consist of four two-day,
one-night camps whereby the participating recovered mental health patients,
together with secondary students and working youngsters will exchange
experiences in overcoming mental health related issues in their daily life, thus
enhancing their understanding of the importance of mental health," she said.
Also officiating at today's ceremony were the Chairperson of Equal Opportunities
Commission, Mr Raymond Tang Yee-bong; Chairman of the Sub-committee on Public
Education on Rehabilitation of the Rehabilitation Advisory Committee, Dr Ip
Yan-ming; Chairperson of 2005 Mental Health Month Organising Committee, Ms
Deborah Wan Lai-yau; and three Mental Health Ambassadors, Miss Yip Tsz-wa, Miss
Yu Chui-yee and Mr Sammul Chan.
The ceremony was followed by a talk on teenagers' mental health. Speakers
included Dr Ip Yan-ming, Mr Raymond Tang Yee-bong, Ms Deborah Wan Lai-yau and
the Mental Health Ambassadors.
Mental Health Month is an annual public education campaign on mental health
jointly organised by the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau, and over 20 government
departments and non-governmental organisations.
Over the next three months, about 100 activities including seminars, workshops,
exhibitions and recreational activities will be held throughout the territory to
drive home the message of mental health. A sharing session and closing ceremony
will be held next February in which participants of the four mental health camps
could get together to share their experiences.
For details of the Mental Health Month activities, members of the public could
browse the homepage of the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau at
http://www.hwfb.gov.hk.
Ends/Saturday, October 8, 2005
Issued at HKT 15:01
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(Photo)