Organizer:

The Hong Kong Psychological Society

Co-organizer:

Department of Applied Social SciencesThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The Hong Kong Psycholgical Society Annual Conference 2013

Date: 15th June, 2013 Venue: Lim Por Yen Lecture Theatres, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Psychological Cost and Resilience in CrisisProfessor Samuel M.Y. Ho

Department of Applied Social StudiesCity University of Hong Kong

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Cognitive neuroscience in rehabilitation of individuals with disability

Professor Chetwyn C.H. ChanDepartment of Rehabilitation Sciences The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Early Psychosis: Crisis and Resolution

Dr. Wing Chung ChangDepartment of Psychiatry

The University of Hong Kong

PLENARY SESSIONS

From Public Issue to Personal Challenge:Maintaining Well-being in Crisis

From Public Issue to Personal Challenge:Maintaining Well-being in Crisis

PLEASE VISIT: http://www.hkps.org.hk FOR MORE DETAILS.

Registration Non-members HKPS members Students & affiliates (Full time & part time)Regular HK$600 HK$400 HK$250Early-bird HK$480 HK$320 HK$200* Early-bird registration: payment has to be made before 30 May 2013. Fees paid are non-refundable.

ONLINE REGISTRATION

http://bit.ly/10Er1Nb

Conference Rundown0830-0900 Registration 0900-0910 Welcoming remarks - Conference Chair & HKPS President 0910-1000 Keynote Address - Psychological Cost and Resilience in Crisis 1000-1030 Tea Break 1030-1105 Plenary Session I - Cognitive neuroscience in rehabilitation of individuals with disability

1110-1145 Plenary Session II - Early psychosis: crisis and resolution 1145-1200 Group Photo and Souvenirs 1200-1400 Lunch/AGM/Poster Presentation 1400-1530 Concurrent Symposia

DCP

Resilience in cancer & well-being in community

DIOP Change Management During Transition Time

DEP Crisis management in

school settings

DCoP Resilience in students

and community 1530-1550 Tea Break

1550-1700 Poster award presentations/Young scientist award AND Leaders Forum on Psychological Well-being

Organizer:

The Hong Kong Psychological Society

Co-organizer:

Department of Applied Social SciencesThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Psychological Cost and Resilience in CrisisProfessor Samuel Ho

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Concurrent SymposiaClinical Psychology (Topic: Resilience in cancer & well-being in community)1) Hope in Cancer (Speaker: Ms. Ada Yuen)2) Promotion of well-being and crisis intervention in the community: Two separate endeavours or sides of the same coin (Speaker: Mr. Eddie Lo)

Industrial-Organizational Psychology (Topic: Change Management During Transition Time) Change Management During Transition Time (Speaker: Ms. Christine Chien-Rixon)

Educational Psychology: (Topic: Crisis management in school settings)1) Handling Crisis Situation in Schools from a Police Negotiator’s perspective (Speaker:Dr. Gilbert Wong)2) Psychological First Aid (PFA): A supplementary guideline for school crisis management? (Speaker: Mr. Stanley Chan)

Counselling Psychology: (Topic: Resilience in students and community)1) Resilience and its protective factors: My studies and reflections (Speaker: Dr. Xiaodong Yue)2) The road to recovery: Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Biofeedback as conjunctive intervention method. (Speaker: Ms. Polina Cheng)

In recent years, we have witnessed many natural disasters in nearby regions and Hong Kong. These include the 2003 SARS outbreak, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake in Japan, and

most recently the earthquake near Ya'an city of the Sichuan province. Meanwhile, we have experienced several major traumatic events at home, like the 2010 Manila hostage crisis; 2012 Lamma Island ferry collision; and the Egypt hot-air balloon crash happened this year. However, crises are not limited to the above major natural disasters and traumatic events. Chronic and life-threatening illness like cancer, and major traffic accidents can also lead to long-term disabilities, unemployment and sudden death of a significant other etc, all of which can be life-changing and devastating. That being said, these experiences taught us important lessons on the possible psychological costs and resilience factors related to a crisis as well as the suitable response an individual and a community should have after a critical incident. The most common psychological costs one may exhibit after a critical incident are depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress and complicated grief symptoms. Other symptoms may include insomnia, substance abuse, social and relationship problems. It is proposed that around 10% to 30% of people would exhibit chronic symptoms after a traumatic encounter, although a higher percentage was found in our study among SARS survivors. While people with the above psychological costs are usually seen in the clinical setting, recent research shows us that there are at least two other possible outcome trajectory patterns that people may exhibit after a traumatic encounter: the resistant pattern and the recovery pattern. Resilience is conceptualized as an individual's ability to maintain a relatively stable and healthy level of psychological functioning even after a traumatic event whereas recovery represents individuals who initially experience elevations in symptoms and distress, but is followed by a gradual reduction and a subsequent return of functioning to the population norm. Our research findings, in line with other studies elsewhere, showed that resilience and recovery patterns are very common - about 50% to 70% of people would exhibit one of these two patterns after a traumatic experience. Our current research has shown that people who pay more attention to negative stimuli and have more difficulty to disengage from negative memory are more prone to exhibiting more chronic psychological problems. On the other hand, those who have an adaptive cognitive style would exhibit more resilience during or after a crisis encounter. In this presentation, I will first present current findings on psychological costs and resilience after a crisis, and discuss possible implications on psychological care. In view of the current threat from the avian influenza virus and other potential crises in future, I hope this presentation may stimulate further research and discussion on the role of psychologists in crisis intervention.