Reese Wong (STC) Artwork by Anna Thompson (KGV)
and have been equally metricized. These compounding commitments exacerbate - if not preclude - the pursuit of wellbeing and mental health - all by virtue of success as viewed through the lens of traditional thought. Indeed, the “goal” of both academic attainment and the pursuit
of extracurriculars invariably tends towards getting into “big name” universities and, by extension, “pride” and “prosperity”. All in all, certainly a system of honour and dignity.
Revaluation of All Values - Success Redefined? While academic attainment is an important variable in the determination of living standards, the pursuit thereof should be tempered with appropriate regard to mental wellbeing. “Mental health” should be integrated and introduced in the education system in such a manner that is taken seriously and remains engaging. Indeed, for many, mental health remains a topic seldom discussed, as a result, stigmatisation persists. Discussion is undoubtedly one way forward. Moreover, success should be viewed as a multifaceted construct, with mental and social health as necessary constituents. In fact, increasing amounts of research suggest a positive correlation between mental wellbeing and academic attainment. Certainly, even traditional, narrow minded definitions of success and mental health are not contradictory: students who experience mild to moderate depression or anxiety demonstrate more academic difficulties and a lower GPA when compared to non-depressed students.
Cultural Inhibitions In the same vein, the aforementioned cultural expectations lead to inhibitions in help-seeking, seeing it as a weakness and source of shame. Ironically, the supposed “collectivism” of Asian cultures fails to accomodate for a “collective” mental health support system. In Chinese culture, mental health is often associated with shame, weakness and guilt. Superstitious beliefs (such as mental illness being a punishment for ancestor’s sins) - are all characterized under “deviancy”. This could in part be
due to lexical gaps arising from variances in medical systems. The general uncomfortability and lack of understanding gives rise to dismissiveness and thus individuals are reluctant to seek help - for fear of damage to family honour or personal reputation. As demonstrated, the dual notions of shame and honour are interwoven into the Asian cultural fabric.
The Paradigm Shift Public discourse surrounding mental health must continue, which by extension, improves public knowledge and mental health literacy. As noted, a paradigm shift takes time to occur, yet, Hong Kong and other Asian countries must “get in with the times” - all to keep up with great strides in the global climate of mental health, increasingly valuing success as a multifaceted construct. Although the government has indeed introduced mental health
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initiatives in the form of public education programmes. Moreover, allocating HK$135 million in 2010 to set up an integrative community network for people with mental illness, the entrenchment of misguided notions will require concerted efforts from both the public and private sector to resolve. A holistic approach will be needed in the pursuit of the paradigm shift.
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