Press Releases

Mental disorders get same effort as infectious diseases

        Hong Kong health authorities have been putting no less effort in fighting mental disorders than infectious diseases, the Permanent Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Mrs Carrie Yau, said today (October 28).

        Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 11th Scientific Meeting of the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists, Mrs Yau said with all the recent high profile attention on infectious diseases, there was perhaps a perception that non-communicable diseases such as mental disorders might not be high on the government's health and welfare policy agenda.

        "This is hardly the case," she said, adding that behind all the publicity on anti-SARS measures and actions to combat avian influenza, frontline health care professionals continued to work diligently to provide quality services to promote and safeguard people's mental health."

        Mrs Yau said the Government's efforts focused on four key areas - empowerment (equipping people with the appropriate health knowledge), advocacy, service enhancement and research for evidence-based policy formulation.

        On empowerment, Mrs Yau said the Department of Health had been active in designing and providing programmes to make mental health-related information and knowledge easily accessible to people through exhibition, posters, pamphlets, TV announcements and the Internet for instance.

        "Our fundamental belief is that health is a positive resource and we have a facilitating role in empowering people to make informed decision on their own health," she said.

        Mrs Yau pointed out stigmatisation remained a critical issue behind the many problems faced by patients.

        "Stigmatisation has to be eliminated, and the best way to do that is through health advocacy and ensure a proper perspective of mental health by the society at large," she said.

        Since 1995, the Government had been organising a territory-wide annual "Mental Health Month" campaign to promote public awareness on mental health. 

        Through the campaign, the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau (HWFB) had been working with more than 20 government departments and non-government organisations (NGOs) in the past to advocate on issues like elimination of discrimination, mental health at the workplace, families and among children, as well as stress management.

        On enhancement of psychiatric services, Mrs Yau said the Hospital Authority had implemented special preventive programmes targeted at teenagers and adolescents as well as the elderly. All were vulnerable to mental illness.

        The authority had also developed a pilot project called 'EXITERS' (Extended care patients Intensive Treatment Early diversion and Rehabilitation Stepping-stone) in the year 2002-03 for patients on rehabilitation to facilitate their eventual discharge and smooth integration into the community. So far, more than 100 patients have been discharged through the scheme.

        Mrs Yau added the Government had also improved its support to psychiatric patients. These included funding the prescription of the new and clinically effective psychiatric drugs, and providing services nearer to the patients' home as well as putting more psychiatric beds in general hospitals. 

        She stressed the Government had attached considerable importance to research and development in mental health.

        Apart from the two HWFB research funds which were supporting mental-related projects, she said the bureau had also provided support to secure funding of $81 million from the Hong Kong Jockey Club to establish the Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing in 2000 and $12.2 million to establish the Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention in 2002.

Ends/Thursday, October 28, 2004

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