PolyU launched Mission ReST to promote mental health among students in a fun and interactive way. The initiative is led by Dr Grace Ho, Associate Professor of the School of Nursing. In recent interviews, she shared insights on promoting student resilience through self-discovery, game-based challenges, and peer collaboration.

Participants of Mission ReST first attend a one-to-one session with a trainer and complete a self-discovery assessment. They then join group sessions to complete team exercises. “The games and designs are co-created by the research team and over 200 PolyU students,” Dr Ho said.

She mentioned that nearly 75% of local university students have encountered at least one severe or traumatic childhood experience, which affects their emotion management and ability to establish healthy relationships. “A person’s resilience greatly affects their ability to overcome adversities,” she noted. She emphasised that “mental health matters and students don’t have to go through life’s challenges alone”.

Mission ReST is launched by the Resilient Students Training Hub (ReST Hub), a research-driven education and service initiative that adopts a strengths-based, trauma-informed, and proactive approach to support university students’ mental wellbeing. The ReST Hub is a five-year initiative supported by the Seal of Love Charitable Foundation.

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