Listen To Your Mind, a student-initiated service project group, conducted a workshop titled “Listening To You : De-stigmatization of Mental Health Issues” on 4 Jan 2024. The objective of this workshop was to enhance mental health awareness among HKMU students and diminish the stigma associated with mental illness.
The organizing members of Listen To Your Mind team were delighted to have Ms. Mui Hang Chung Jolene, a senior lecturer in mental health nursing, as the guest speaker for the workshop. Ms. Mui provided valuable insights on the epidemiology, aetiology and clinical features of mental illness along with interventions to enhance self-awareness. As part of the session, she conducted a PHQ-9 questionnaire to assess if students who displayed signs of depression. Besides, she shared relaxation tips such as engaging exercise, ensuring sufficient sleep, and practicing deep breathing exercises.
Moreover, Listen To Your Mind also invited two guests who had experienced depression and bipolar disorder to share their stories in the human library session. They highlighted the benefits of art therapy, particularly Pastel Nagomi Art, which helped them express themselves and gain self-awareness, ultimately relieving stress.
This allow the participants to gain a deeper understanding of mental illness by hearing first-hand accounts from individuals who have lived through them and help participants to develop greater awareness of the impact of stigma on individuals with mental illness.
At the end of the workshop, all participants engaged in a creative activity where they made an immortal flower glass ball vase together while being surrounded by music. This activity not only relaxed their minds but also allowed them to be fully present in the moment. By attaching a petal to each flower, they can temporarily set aside their worries and immersed themselves in the enjoyable process of creating something beautiful together.
Participants’ feedback:
