Media

Play has long been recognized as an integral part of personality development for children. Playfulness refers to the personality trait characterized of cognitive, social, and physical spontaneity, which are the building blocks for psychological flexibility, joy, and sense of humor. Playful children are more intrinsically motivated, have better internal control, coping skills, and they are more creative in problem-solving as well as having lower risk of mental health issues. Playfulness in the parent-child context is characterized of non-judgmental attitude, sense of humor, psychological flexibility. While playfulness is predictive of psychosocial wellbeing, the absence of which predicates vulnerabilities to developmental difficulties, such as interpersonal issues and mood management deficits.

Deeply rooted in our cultural legacies of the teaching of Confucian, Hong Kong families adopt a “top down” approach of parent-child communication. Authoritarian type of parentings value obedience to higher authority and disciplining as virtues, while the qualities of playfulness are inhibited. Traditional form of parent-child support program focuses primarily on skills training, whereas the value and contributions of play in parent-child relationship has been downplayed. For the betterment of children’s developmental wellbeing, there is an imminent need for effective intervention program that facilitates the cultivation of playfulness for children in response to their developmental needs.

The past decade saw the proliferation of arts-based intervention programs for young children in education setting. The use of play in a therapeutic context maybe cathartic, expressive, or it may be a symbolic re-enactment of children’s internal world far beyond words can express (Youell, 2008). Despite the popularity of the use of different art forms in children education, studies to explore its potential benefits in improving psychosocial well-being of children has remained rare in Hong Kong.

Intended to bridge the service gap and knowledge gap in the Hong Kong community, the multidisciplinary team at TWGHs Ho Yuk Ching Educational Psychology Service Centre developed an innovative, creative arts-based family intervention program emphasizing on the nurturance of playfulness of parents and their children. The innovative program aims to provide families a platform to build rapport, enhance parent-child relationship, and to cultivate playfulness for both the parents and the children. The major goal of the 8-week, professional-led, program is to foster playfulness and to integrate playful qualities into parent-child relationships, in which the participants learn and growth in a non-judging, and playful atmosphere.

The effectiveness of this first-of-its-kind program in Hong Kong will be assessed by a scientific research committee at the Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong. The aim of the research is to assess the potential effectiveness of an integrative, multi-modal, play-focused family intervention on playfulness and psychosocial well-being of parents and children in Hong Kong.

Invitation to Press Conference
Members of the press are invited to attend a press conference on this innovative, creative arts-based family intervention program initiated and developed by TWGHs Ho Yuk Ching Educational Psychology Service Centre. The scientific research committee from the Centre on Behavioral Health will share with the public the results of this initiative. Furthermore, participants of the program will also be invited to share with the public their experience, insights, and touching moments in the program.

Details of the press conference are as follows –

Date/ Time:   October 12, 2019 (Saturday)
                      A. Interview：10 am – 10:50 am
                      B. Press Conference：11 am – 11:50 am
Venue:           Auditorium, 1/F., Hong Kong Council of Social Services, Duke of Windsor Building,
                     15 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Guests:         Ms. Vivian Lau
                     Educational Psychologist
                     TWGHs Ho Yuk Ching Educational Psychology Service Centre

                     Ms. Belle Fok
                     Play Therapist
                     TWGHs Ho Yuk Ching Educational Psychology Service Centre

                    Ms. Esther Yau
                    Expressive Arts Therapist
                    TWGHs Ho Yuk Ching Educational Psychology Service Centre

                    Prof. Rainbow T.H. Ho
                    Professor, Department of Social Work & Social Administration, HKU
                   Director, Centre on Behavioral Health, HKU

                   Dr. Adrian H.Y. Wan
                   Post-doctoral Fellow
                  Centre on Behavioral Health, HKU

For media enquiries, please contact Ms. Amy Choi, Senior Executive Assistant at Centre on Behavioral Health (Phone: 2831 5163 / Email: amychoi@hku.hk), or Senior Manager (Media) of the Communications and Public Affairs Office, Ms. Melanie Wan (Phone: 2859 2600 / Email: melwkwan@hku.hk).