Two projects led by members of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) received grants from the Hong Kong SAR government in support of their projects for promoting children’s physical and cognitive development, and the early detection of postpartum depression, respectively.
The project “Digital Physical Quotient and Learning Platform” was awarded HK$5.9 million from the Quality Education Fund’s e-Learning Ancillary Facilities Programme of the Education Bureau, HKSAR. Principal Investigator Dr Cynthia LAI, Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (RS), and Co-Principal Investigator Prof. Shamay NG, Associate Head and Professor of RS Department, will develop a digital learning platform which will include gross motor, fine motor, and cognitive skills developmental assessment and training for children. The platform will apply multi-media, internet of things (IoT) tools and cloud technologies to enhance the learning and teaching experiences.
The project “A Mobile Application for Early Detection and Symptoms Trajectories of Postpartum Depression Using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA): A Prospective Cohort Validation Study” was awarded a grant of about HK$500K from the Health and Medical Research Fund of the Health Bureau, HKSAR. Dr Jessie LIN, Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences will evaluate the use of a mobile-based ecological momentary assessment (mEMA) to study changes in mood symptoms among pregnant women during and after pregnancy, with the aim of enabling early identification of postpartum depression and the trajectories of depressive symptoms and associated factors.
