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Objectives. Given the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and the associated prevention and control measures implemented, the psychological burden brought by the pandemic on citizens is expected to increase. This study is aimed at exploring the predictors of depressive symptoms among Hong Kong people during the epidemic, as well as factors that could potentially alleviate the negative effects of the epidemic. Methods. The third wave follow-up survey (December 2021 to January 2022) from a longitudinal prospective survey study conducted in Hong Kong was used for a cross-sectional analysis. The participants (n = 803) are adults aged 18 and above in Hong Kong. Logistic and linear regression were performed to test the predictors and moderating effects, respectively, with depression as the outcome variable. Results. With minimized confounding effects of demographic variables, higher levels of concern about infection, experience with COVID-19 infection and previous epidemics, hassles, and trust in authority increased the odds of being depressed, while a higher level of trust in medical professionals reduced the odds of depression. Moreover, greater trust in medical professionals, as a moderator, lessened the positive associations between the levels of depression and hassles and concern about infection. Conclusions. Even though the threats of COVID-19 seem to have lowered, this study shows that a few factors associated with the pandemic continue to threaten people's mental health. However, developing greater trust in medical experts may be an effective way to relieve psychological burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Empirical evidence about the heightened risks of elder abuse and age discrimination during the COVID‐19 pandemic is scarce. This study aimed to track the changes in rates of both, and investigated their associated factors in the community‐dwelling older population in Hong Kong. Methods: In this two‐wave, cross‐sectional telephone survey, we interviewed a population‐based sample of individuals (≥55 years), and captured the situation of elder abuse and age discrimination before the COVID‐19 outbreak (n = 1209, Wave 1: October–December 2019) and during the pandemic (n = 891, Wave 2: December 2020–January 2021). Participants reported their experiences of different types of abuse and discrimination, financial health, subjective well‐being, satisfaction with environment, health and social services, and resilience. Results: Abuse was reported by 20.2% of the sample before the outbreak and 17.8% during the pandemic; while discrimination was reported by 24.6% and 29.8% at the two time points, respectively. A drop in physical abuse was observed, but it was accompanied by a rise in discrimination in the form of harassment or refusal of services. Findings of logistic regression analysis show that abuse during the pandemic was associated with younger age, poorer subjective well‐being, and lower resilience; while discrimination was associated with female gender, being married, and poorer subjective well‐being. Conclusions: Elder abuse and discrimination were prevalent across time points. The pandemic has highlighted the marginalization of older persons in our communities. There is an urgent need for development of effective interventions to end abuse and discrimination. Key points: The prevalence of elder abuse in Hong Kong dropped from 20.2% before the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic to 17.8% during the pandemic.Older persons with younger age, poorer well‐being, and lower resilience were more likely to report elder abuse.The prevalence of age discrimination against older persons increased from 24.6% to 29.8% after the outbreak of the pandemic.Women, married individuals, and those with poorer well‐being were more likely to report age discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The establishment of mental health facilities in the community has been hindered by opposition from local residents in Hong Kong. Through a comparative review, this study aimed to compare the issues related to the process of establishment of community-based mental health facilities between Hong Kong and selected overseas countries and regions. It will better inform the strategies and best practices that can be adopted for the establishment of mental health facilities in Hong Kong. Methods: Three electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO) were used to examine literature on nine jurisdictions in Asia and western societies from 2005 to 2019. In addition, we conducted a number of in-depth interviews with overseas experts to gain in-depth insights and clarify information that was unavailable or unclear. A total of 19,248 articles were identified through the initial search. 71 of them met the inclusion criteria. In addition, 20 articles about the establishment of other types of community facilities or sensitive facilities were identified from supplementary sources. Results: Most Western countries and Singapore have adopted regulations or laws to reduce public discrimination against particular groups, giving them corresponding human rights and legislating to demarcate the use of land in the community. Regions close to Hong Kong emphasize communication with community leaders to obtain support for sensitive services or facilities. Conclusions: Hong Kong may consider strengthening the land zoning ordinance in relation to community sensitive facilities, as well as increasing communication with the community and considering the possibility of locating facilities in government buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cultural competence training plays an effective role in improving cultural competence for healthcare professionals, but cultural competence training was found to be insufficient in Hong Kong. Aim: This study aims to explore receptivity and readiness of Hong Kong healthcare professionals (nurses, occupational therapists (OTs), and physiotherapists (PTs)) towards cultural competence training. Methods: Twenty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 educators/trainers from tertiary institutions, 2 representatives of professional groups, and 14 managerial and frontline workers. Data were analysed using theoretical thematic analysis. Findings: Results show that nurses and PTs have lower levels of cultural competence than OTs owing to insufficient in-depth training and the nature of professional practice, and they expressed lower willingness to receive the training than OTs. However, the staff in these three professions encounter various challenges in serving ethnoculturally diverse groups. Therefore, barriers in receiving cultural competence training and best practice for providing cultural competence training were identified and discussed for these three professions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative evaluation study examined the impact of unstructured intervention on people with depression in a community mental health centre in Hong Kong. In the intervention, service users initiated groups and designed group activities by themselves, with social workers as facilitators. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with service users enrolled in unstructured intervention, their family members, and service providers in 2019. Overall, 32 participants were recruited through purposive sampling. The results revealed that peer interactions helped participants to feel accepted and understood. Participants also acquired experience with emotional coping strategies and practised their interpersonal skills, and by learning new skills from peers, they were able to rebuild their self‐esteem and improve their relationships with friends and family. To cater to clients' different needs and concerns, unstructured activities should be diversified. Family and social functioning should also be emphasised in the development of unstructured intervention because the generic skills and knowledge acquired from unstructured activities with peers could help to enhance family relationships, self‐confidence, and the ability to manage issues related to working and socialising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The social unrest in the second half of 2019 in Hong Kong came with conflicts, confrontations, and violence which affected almost everyone in the city. The destruction and disruption of the urban facilities have undoubtedly had a significant impact on the lives and mental well-being of the public, and the older people are even more vulnerable. This study examined the impacts of the social unrest on the wellbeing of older people, an area that was seldomly addressed in the public discourse and literature.Methods: Narrative interviews were conducted to capture older people's lived experiences and ways of making sense of the unrest in Hong Kong. A total of 63 participants aged 60 and above was recruited through personal networks of the research team, and referrals by participants who took part in the interviews. Qualitative semi-structure interviews was conducted one on one via telephone.Results: Thirty-three male and 30 female participants took part in the interview. The number of participants from different risk zones affected by political unrest was comparable. Three themes were generated. Participants experienced challenges during the social unrest, including disturbance to family and social life, reduced incomes which affect quality of life, and difficulties in socializing with friends and accessing medical services. The social unrest caused emotional disturbance, giving rise to feelings of panic, fear, insomnia, depression, annoyance, and anger. Participants reported different coping strategies, ranging from moving to other places, to avoiding going to risky areas and watching news.Conclusion: Social unrest brings emotional distress to older people. In many cases, older people cope with challenges in different ways, whether active or passive. Social workers and other professionals should give more support to older people to encourage them to overcome their difficulties. The stakeholders' awareness of the problem and mental health promotion is required to alleviate the multiple layers of negative impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is a growing volume of research on violence against women, violence against older women has received little attention to date. Little is known about the experience of elder abuse, discrimination, loneliness, and health among older women, in particular in the era of COVID-19 when our lives have been changed drastically. Using two waves of survey data (N = 1,498), this study compared the estimates of elder abuse and age discrimination before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, examined their associations with physical and mental health, and explored the mediating effects of loneliness on the associations in two independent samples of older women in Hong Kong. Reductions in some forms of abuse and discrimination against older women during the pandemic were observed. Findings from regression analyses show that elder abuse and age discrimination were associated with poorer health, and these associations were mediated by loneliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness (ICCMWs) provide district-based community support services for patients discharged from mental health facilities and other residents in Hong Kong. However, selecting locations for these community centres is challenging primarily because of community opposition, which has introduced barriers to responses to service users' interests and the operations of individual centres. This study examines public preferences for conflict resolution options, evaluates the feasibility of different consultation approaches, identifies effective methods for reducing public opposition and recommends possible approaches to public consultation and location selection. Methods: A total of 74 individual interviews were conducted with key informants, including government personnel, service operators, politicians, resident representatives, community activists and service users. These interviewees were asked about their knowledge, experiences and perspectives of centre location selection processes. Results: Interviews revealed that neighbourhood consultations for establishing community centres for mental wellness are time-consuming and did not yield a consensus of support from residents. In some instances, the government may decide to delay or withdraw location selection plans because of strong public opposition mainly because of bias and misunderstanding towards service users. However, the role of local politicians in mediating neighbourhood opinions and the government's determination in planning location selection are essential for successfully selecting ICCMW locations. Conclusion: Government departments should develop stronger collaboration to study target neighbourhoods and lobby stakeholders at earlier stages. Such investigations should involve identifying key stakeholders, the political and social dynamics of controversies and community demographics. A protocol specifying a time frame should be implemented to facilitate smooth and effective public consultation and community mental health service location selection processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examined understandings of cultural competence of social workers in Hong Kong, their needs and challenges in serving culturally diverse groups, and their willingness and receptivity to receive cultural competence training by using constructivist grounded theory. Individual qualitative interviews were conducted with thirteen frontline and managerial practitioners and educators in training institutions in the social work profession. Data were analysed by identifying major themes. The findings show that social workers in Hong Kong tend to encounter language barriers and various forms of cultural shocks in serving ethnoculturally diverse clients. The professional code of practice is not sufficient in promoting culturally competent practice and there are institutional barriers to the enhancement of cultural competence of the social services. Mainstream social work units are generally not well prepared to provide services to non-Chinese communities. In response to these obstacles, professional training should provide future Hong Kong social workers with opportunities to interact with ethnoculturally diverse communities through service-learning. To tackle institutional racism, leaders should have cultural awareness and promote culturally inclusive practices. Inclusion of staff members from diverse cultural backgrounds would increase the capacity of the organisations to better serve clients of diverse needs. Anti-racism training should be made as an essential professional development component for social work students, practicum students, practitioners and managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the issue of parental self-efficacy in guiding and supervising children to use mobile devices in Hong Kong. Data were collected from a sample of 1,561 students and 1,233 of their parents. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses showed that the frequency with which parents adopted involvement as a parenting method and the frequency of minor parent–child conflicts triggered by parental supervision were significantly associated with parental self-efficacy in supervising children to use mobile devices. Findings suggest that support for parents to adopt involvement methods more frequently and better manage parent–child conflicts are crucial in enhancing their self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The cost of caring for an aging population is a growing concern in many societies. Although information and communication technologies (ICTs) like computers and the Internet are seen as new tools which offer some potential to help, unfortunately older adults are generally the age group with the lowest level of skill and utilization of these technologies. Although nongovernmental organizations have attempted to address this digital gap, limited staff resources are a concern. One approach for generating additional staff to provide more technology training to older adults is a 'peer-tutor' model. This study examined the perspectives of 101 technology peer tutors for older adults in a nonprofit program in Hong Kong. Topics included preparation and training, perceived benefits and challenges, side effects on their lives, the perceived value of their work as tutors, and suggestions for personal and program improvement. The influence of demographic factors was examined. Results show which tutors felt prepared for their roles, perceived considerably more benefits than challenges, saw value in their tutor work, and overwhelming plan to continue as volunteer tutors in this program. There were few differences linked with demographic variables. Implications for practice and for future research are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of COVID-19. Understanding factors associated with intention to receive COVID-19 vaccines is the key to a successful vaccination programme. This cross-sectional study explored the rate of vaccination intention and identified its predictors using the health belief model (HBM) in the general population in Hong Kong during the pandemic. Data were collected between December 2020 and January 2021 via telephone surveys. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with intention to receive COVID-19 vaccines. A total of 1255 adults (>18 years, 53% female) completed the telephone survey. Overall, 42% indicated an intention to vaccinate, 31.5% showed vaccine hesitancy, and 26.5% reported refusal to receive any COVID-19 vaccines. Individuals who were men, older in age, working, with past experiences of other pandemics, less concerned with the vaccine safety, with poorer knowledge about COVID-19, and having greater levels of perceived susceptibility, self-efficacy, cues to action, and acceptance of governmental preventive measures related to COVID-19 were significantly more likely to report an intention to vaccinate. The low intention among the Hong Kong population reflects the importance of developing effective vaccination promotion campaigns with the predictors identified in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]