Articulating future directions of law reform for compulsory mental health admission and treatment in Hong Kong

This chapter provides a review of research and a description of the central issues regarding the stressor of depression in mothers during pregnancy and the postpartum periods in relation to risk for the development of psychopathology in offspring. Where evidence allows, causal relations are emphasized; otherwise, limitations are noted, especially those regarding being able to draw causal conclusions from the correlational approaches typically taken in this area of study. Evidence for mechanisms in the transmission of risk is also described, given the potential for understanding causal relations. With the developmental psychopathology perspective of depression as a stressor for offspring, the focus is on vulnerabilities to and early signs of disorder as well as mental health outcomes per se. The chapter concludes with suggested critical issues in the field and recommendations for future directions for research.

Download Full-text

Relationships between Physical and Social Behavioural Changes and the Mental Status of Homebound Residents in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 Pandemic

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17186653 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (18) ◽

pp. 6653

Author(s):

Ben Y. F. Fong ◽

Martin C. S. Wong ◽

Vincent T. S. Law ◽

Man Fung Lo ◽

Tommy K. C. Ng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Hong Kong ◽

Physical Health ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Severe Depression ◽

Social Contact ◽

Well Being ◽

Full Time ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Physical Strain

In Hong Kong, social distancing has been adopted in order to minimise the spread of COVID-19. This study aims to examine the changes in physical health, mental health, and social well-being experienced by local residents who were homebound during the pandemic. An online questionnaire in both Chinese and English versions was completed by 590 eligible participants from 24 April to 13 May 2020. The questionnaire found that individuals aged 18 to 25 years spent more time resting and relaxing but experienced more physical strain. Working status was associated with social contact, with participants working full-time jobs scoring higher in “maintaining social communication via electronic means” and “avoiding social activities outside the home”. Additionally, approximately one third of the participants (29.7%) had moderate to severe depression, and participants aged 18 to 25 were found to have higher scores in PHQ-9. Changes in physical health and social contact were significantly associated with developing depressive symptoms. From the results, it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to exert a negative impact on the mental health status of individuals.

Download Full-text

Future Directions for Early Childhood Prevention of Mental Disorders: A Road Map to Mental Health, Earlier

Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology ◽

10.1080/15374416.2018.1561296 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 48 (3) ◽

pp. 539-554 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Lauren S. Wakschlag ◽

Megan Y. Roberts ◽

Rachel M. Flynn ◽

Justin D. Smith ◽

Sheila Krogh-Jespersen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Early Childhood ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Future Directions ◽

Road Map ◽

Early Childhood Prevention

Download Full-text

Sleep Disorders in Adults with Down Syndrome

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10143012 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (14) ◽

pp. 3012

Author(s):

Sandra Giménez ◽

Miren Altuna ◽

Esther Blessing ◽

Ricardo M. Osorio ◽

Juan Fortea

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Mental Health ◽

Down Syndrome ◽

Sleep Disorders ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Sleep Disruption ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Future Directions

Sleep disorders, despite being very frequent in adults with Down syndrome (DS), are often overlooked due to a lack of awareness by families and physicians and the absence of specific clinical sleep guidelines. Untreated sleep disorders have a negative impact on physical and mental health, behavior, and cognitive performance. Growing evidence suggests that sleep disruption may also accelerate the progression to symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in this population. It is therefore imperative to have a better understanding of the sleep disorders associated with DS in order to treat them, and in doing so, improve cognition and quality of life, and prevent related comorbidities. This paper reviews the current knowledge of the main sleep disorders in adults with DS, including evaluation and management. It highlights the existing gaps in knowledge and discusses future directions to achieve earlier diagnosis and better treatment of sleep disorders most frequently found in this population.

Download Full-text