In recent years, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has become an emerging public health issue in Hong Kong. The causes of PTSD symptoms commonly include experiencing severe accidents, life-threatening injuries, physical assaults, sexual assaults, witnessing severe suffering or tragic events, violence, or sudden deaths. Currently, there is insufficient evidence-based psychological intervention services targeting PTSD symptoms in the local community, as well as a lack of research on PTSD symptoms at the primary care level.
Prof Samuel Wong, Director of the CUHK Thomas Jing Centre for Mindfulness Research and Training, and the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, was interviewed by RTHK Radio 1 earlier this month to share the effectiveness of using mindfulness as an intervention for improving PTSD symptoms in adults. He also introduced to the audience a 3-year research project launched in 2021 called the "Effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for adults with post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in primary care: A randomized control trial", funded by the General Research Fund.
 The research project “Effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for adults with post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in primary care: A randomized control trial" is funded by the General Research Fund from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council. |
The study aims to recruit a total of 160 adults aged 18 and above who have experienced PTSD symptoms for more than one month. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to either the Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy group or the Seeking Safety group for comparison. The preliminary results showed that there are improvements for both groups in PTSD symptoms, depression, and anxiety symptoms while no adverse reactions have been reported. Mindfulness helps practitioners consciously bring their attention back to the present moment with a non-judgmental mindset, being aware of their thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations, and accepting all of their current experiences while Seeking Safety is another approach for treating PTSD symptoms, placing safety as the primary consideration.
Participation in the study is free. To register and for more information, please visit the website.
To replay the radio programme: please click here.
Research participant Ms Au (left) and Prof Samuel Wong, Director of the CUHK Thomas Jing Centre for Mindfulness Research and Training and the JC School of Public Health and Primary Care (right)
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