SUNDAY, JULY 19, 1981
CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH
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THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS ORGANISING A SERIES OF CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH IN WHAT HAS BEEN DESIGNATED BY THE UNITED NATIONS AS THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PERSONS.
THE BASIC OBJECTIVE OF THESE ACTIVITIES IS TO HAMMER HOME THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING MENTAL HEALTH SO AS TO PREVENT MENTAL DISABILITY.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID THE CAMPAIGN'S SLOGAN IS +GOOD MENTAL HEALTH IS THE KEY TO A HAPPY SOCIETY WHICH INDICATES THE EQUAL IMPORTANCE OF BOTH MENTAL HEALTH AND PHYSICAL HEALTH.
HE POINTED OUT THAT IT IS A PHENOMENUM THROUGHOUT THE WORLD THAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE BECOME PSYCHIATRICALLY ILL.
IN HONG KONG, ABOUT 25 000 PERSONS ATTENDED GOVERNMENT PSYCHIATRIC OUTPATIENT CLINICS IN 1980, COMPARED WITH 4 000 IN 1965.
THE MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGN WILL START WITH A SONG COMPOSING CONTEST LATER THIS MONTH.
A SERIES OF EIGHT RADIO TALKS BY PSYCHIATRISTS AND SPECIALISTS IN RELATED FIELDS ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF MENTAL HEALTH WILL BE BROADCAST FROM AUGUST.
LECTURES AND A SEMINAR ON WHAT MENTAL HEALTH IS ALL ABOUT WILL BE ORGANISED FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN SEPTEMBER.
THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE CAMPAIGN WILL BE A SEVEN-DAY EXHIBITION
AT CITY HALL IN EARLY OCTOBER, TO BE FOLLOWED BY AN EXHIBITION-CUM-OPEN-DAY AT EACH OF THE THREE INSTITUTIONS KWAI CHUNG, SIU LAM AND KOWLOON HOSPITALS.
+THE HOSPITAL OPEN DAYS ARE STAGED WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF GETTING THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND BETTER THE VARIOUS MENTAL CARE AND MENTAL REHABILITATION SERVICES IN HONG KONG, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE CENTRAL HEALTH EDUCATION UNIT OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL ALSO PUBLISH THREE INFORMATIVE PAMPHLETS ON MENTAL HEALTH TO BE DISTRIBUTED FREE TO THE PUBLIC.
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