INTRODUCTION
Since the commencement of the 2015 school year, a spate of over 70 suicides among Hong Kong students began to take place, putting mental health under the public spotlight as questions were raised on the amount of stress put on students by different stakeholders.
ReMINDer was conceived at this time when stigmatization, misconceptions and ignorance were rampant in the community along with inadequate institutional measures in combating mental illnesses.
OUR VISION
ReMINDer envisions:
-
An environment that promotes improved mental wellbeing
-
The eradication of social stigma and discrimination against the mentally ill
OUR MISSION
ReMINDer aims to:
-
Promote mental wellbeing;
-
Raise awareness of mental illnesses;
-
Investigate the public’s perception of mental health, and
-
Investigate and evaluate current institutional approaches towards mental health
KEY VALUES
ReMINDer upholds the following key values as crucial to achieving the mission statement and endeavours to spread these amongst the general public in advancing towards completion of our vision:
-
Equality and acceptance
We strive for equal rights and opportunities regardless of differences
-
Understanding and respect
We encourage deeper mutual understanding and empathy for all, respecting the opinions of different individuals
-
Positivity
We believe positivity, the practice of a tendency to be optimistic in attitude, is essential in achieving mental health.
FOUNDING STATEMENT
One Minute of Introspection
One minute is all it takes for a moment of silent introspection. One minute is all it takes for learning more about ourselves. With the fast pace of life in Hong Kong, most of us would be rushing through our lives without slowing down and taking breaks, accumulating stress. According to a global survey conducted by Cigna, Hong Kong was found to have the world’s fifth most stressed-out population, with 92% of citizens facing stress on a daily basis.
One would assume that this stress would translate into high public awareness of mental health, strong action in promoting stress relief and effective institutional policies in serving the mentally ill. The opposite is true in Hong Kong.
That Little Step That Makes A Difference
Affected by the long-standing societal beliefs and a lack of understanding, public and self stigmatization of mental illnesses are prevalent in Hong Kong. Mentally-ill patients and the ex mentally ill are often misunderstood, labelled and defamed. They are led to be ashamed of their conditions. Those who suspect that they have mental health conditions are reluctant to seek help for themselves, fearing discrimination.
As one in six Hong Kong citizens suffers from a diagnosable mental health illness, we need to acknowledge the prevalence of mental health conditions and understand mental illnesses, whilst encouraging the society to be more open towards mental health issues. Instead of viewing mental health as a social taboo, we should discuss the related issues with the same urgency and openness as physical illnesses.
Thousands are living with a diagnosable mental health condition. Lives are at stake due to depressive disorders, substance abuse and many other mental health conditions. If we could take these little steps in spreading awareness and eradicating stigmatization, millions of lives would be saved in the future.
Why are we here?
As a group of students, we hope to bring change by being an example of students who initiated, led and executed activism. Through facing a social taboo head-on, we hope to change the society, especially the youth's view towards mental health by engaging all through our social media campaign and activities.
Mother Teresa once said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” Our work is but a small step in alleviating the social stigma and spreading mental health awareness, yet we envision a future where the mentally ill are embraced and the importance of mental well-being is cherished by all.