In the 2025/26 academic year,the Faculty of Education and Human Development (FEHD) at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) has secured over HK$2.75 million from the Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) under the Research Council of HKSAR. The four awarded projects, all led by researchers from the Department of Psychology, address pressing challenges in mental health and neurodevelopment across the lifespan, from autism and ADHD to adolescent depression and early psychosis.
Dr Michael Yeung, Associate Professor, will lead the project titled Hybrid Computerized Executive Function and Social Cognition Training for Autistic Children and Their Parents: A Two-Arm, Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial with Six-Month Follow-Up. This study investigates the breadth and sustainability of a five-week home-based training programme that integrates progressive executive function and social cognition exercises for autistic children aged 8 to 12, alongside support for parents. With assessments conducted before, immediately after and six months following the intervention, the project aims to demonstrate sustained improvements in children’s cognitive and social functioning, together with reduced parental stress, highlighting the long-term value of technology-enhanced, family-centred intervention.
Advancing precision psychiatry, Dr Clive Wong, Research Assistant Professor, will lead the study Towards Precision Psychiatry: Building Transdiagnostic Prediction Model from Neurophysiological Pattern for ADHD Children. Involving 110 children aged 7 to 11 years, the project integrates EEG-based neurophysiological measures with cognitive assessments and machine learning techniques under the Research Domain Criteria framework. By identifying neural markers that predict cognitive functioning and treatment response, particularly to neurofeedback training, the project seeks to inform more targeted and individualised interventions beyond symptom-based approaches.
To address adolescent depression, Dr Paul Chan, Assistant Professor, will lead Examining the Effects of Mindfulness-Based Horticultural Therapy on Reducing Mental Distress and Increasing Psychological Well-Being of Adolescents with Depressive Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial. This randomised controlled trial will compare mindfulness-based horticultural therapy, horticultural therapy and a psychoeducation programme among secondary school students with depressive symptoms in Hong Kong. By integrating mindfulness practices into horticultural activities, the intervention aims to reduce depression, anxiety and stress while enhancing overall psychological well-being. The study is expected to generate evidence for an innovative and scalable school-based approach to strengthening youth resilience.
Focusing on early psychosis, Dr Wong Ting Yat, Assistant Professor, will lead Psychosocial Factors Linked to Resilience to Stressors in First-Episode Psychosis: Towards a Resilience Calculator. Recruiting young adults from Hong Kong’s EASY early intervention programme, this prospective cohort study will identify modifiable psychosocial factors such as social support and emotional regulation that predict adaptive responses to stress. Through longitudinal assessment and predictive modelling, the project aims to develop a clinically useful Resilience Calculator to inform personalised care and improve long-term recovery outcomes.
Professor Kevin Chan, Acting Dean of FEHD, said, “These awards reflect not only the excellence of our colleagues’ research, but also our Faculty’s vision to transform mental health care through innovation, interdisciplinarity and impact. By harnessing advances in psychological science, technology and data-driven approaches, we aim to move beyond traditional models of support towards more personalised, preventive and scalable solutions.”
Under the HMRF, funding is awarded to high-impact, evidence-based projects that promote healthier lifestyles and improve public health.
This achievement highlights FEHD’s growing impact in mental health research and its commitment to improving lives through innovation and evidence-based practice.
List of FEHD HMRF Projects
|
Principal Applicants |
Project Title |
Approved Amount (HK$) |
|
Dr Michael Yeung |
Hybrid Computerized Executive Function and Social Cognition Training for Autistic Children and Their Parents: A Two-Arm, Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial with 6-Month Follow-Up |
$1,263,913 |
|
Dr Clive Wong |
Towards Precision Psychiatry: Building Transdiagnostic Prediction Model from Neurophysiological Pattern for ADHD Children |
$500,000 |
|
Dr Paul Chan |
Examining the Effects of Mindfulness-Based Horticultural Therapy on Reducing Mental Distress and Increasing Psychological Well-Being of Adolescents with Depressive Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial |
$499,056 |
|
Dr Wong Ting Yat |
Psychosocial Factors Linked to Resilience to Stressors in First-Episode Psychosis: Towards a Resilience Calculator |
$496,100 |
