COVID-19 Mental Health Relief Scheme

If you have been struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences (e.g. quarantine, financial pressures, loneliness), this scheme may be right for you. Instead of providing ‘therapy’, we will work with you to provide brief guided self help (which aims to help you learn ways to manage your mood and improve your wellbeing).

As this scheme is aimed at providing only short-term guided self-help support, this service may not be suitable for you if:

– You are experiencing suicidal thoughts and ideation

– Have been diagnosed with a longstanding and enduring mental health problem

– Or there is a risk concern due to your current mental health

If this is the case, we can help to suggest alternative services and sources of support that may be more appropriate for you.

Below are some common symptoms you might be facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic:

– Persistent worry & fear about catching the virus or passing it on to loved ones

– Finding ourselves unable to stop or control worrying

– Not getting pleasure or interest from our regular activities

– Lots of procrastination/opting out of things we would usually do

– Changes in sleep, appetite or energy levels

– Increased use of alcohol or other substances

– Struggling to concentrate

– Increased restlessness or feeling lethargic

– Feeling more irritable or tearful than usual

To be eligible for this scheme, you must:
– Be 18+ and a Hong Kong resident
– Have access to a secure & stable Wi-Fi-connection & access to a computer or phone with a working camera & audio

After registering your interest, a Mind HK staff member will review your application and will be in touch within 7 days for further details, and inform you about eligibility and next steps. If this scheme is a good fit for you, our team will aim to match you with a healthcare professional to best fit your needs. In the meantime, should you have any questions please email [email protected]

Please note: The Scheme will be accepting enquiries until 6PM HKT July 31st 2021. All complete enquiries received by then will be processed by the team from now until August 2021.

If you are interested in receiving support, please review the FAQs below and fill out this form here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/mentalhealthcovidscheme 

Qualified healthcare professionals will conduct the sessions. A group of clinicians, including psychologists and counsellors, have volunteered their time to this scheme.

A qualified healthcare professional will provide 1-3 sessions of ‘guided self-help’ support to those showing early signs of emotional distress due to Covid-19.

Guided self-help is where you work through a self-help workbook or guide with the support of a clinician. The idea is that you first work through the workbook with the support of your clinician, then you can continue to work through some of the content on your own, even once sessions have ended.

As you work through the booklet together with your clinician, there are plenty of opportunities for you to complete sections about your own experiences, to make the support relevant to you. This will help you to identify the materials that are most useful for you, so you can tailor the guide to your own needs.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread decline in mental health, particularly affecting those who are vulnerable, from low income groups, and those in quarantine or isolation. In May 2020, Mind HK conducted an online survey and commissioned a phone survey to determine how levels of well-being changed during the rise of Covid-19 in Hong Kong (from January to April). The phone survey found that 43% of people reported that their mental health has worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic.

We hope that Hong Kong’s most vulnerable people will benefit from this scheme, especially those who would otherwise have not had access to mental health support.