HKHong Kong faces challenges in providing comprehensive care for individuals with schizophrenia beyond symptom management. Around 40,000 people in Hong Kong live with schizophrenia, and while current systems focus on reducing symptoms and shortening hospital stays, they often fail to address long-term recovery and integration into society. Professor Sylvia Kwok from City University of Hong Kong highlights a 'deficit model' that focuses primarily on treating symptoms such as hallucinations and social withdrawal rather than fostering personal growth and resilience. She advocates for a 'strength-based model,' emphasizing patients' inherent capacities for gratitude, forgiveness, and resilience. Through initiatives in halfway houses, Kwok promotes therapies that encourage social interaction, self-confidence, and community building, aiming to create environments where individuals can develop new skills and reintegrate successfully into society.
Bias read (Center): The article discusses mental health care reform in Hong Kong and does not take a political stance or involve political figures, policies, or controversies. It presents research and perspectives from a professor focused on improving mental health services without any apparent ideological bias.
