Exploring Student Wellness And Intervention Programs: A Preliminary Assessment In A Hong Kong Secondary School

Abstract

Adolescent mental health has emerged as a pressing public health priority in Hong Kong, where academic competitiveness and post-pandemic adjustment have intensified psychological distress among secondary students. This preliminary assessment explored the perceived wellness status of secondary students and their engagement with school-based intervention programs in a Hong Kong secondary school. The study aimed to: (i) measure baseline levels of stress, depressive symptoms, and resilience, and (ii) examine students' awareness, participation, and perceived effectiveness of available wellness intervention programs. A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted with 220 students from Forms 1–6 selected through stratified random sampling. Validated tools including the CES-D, DASS-21, and Resilience Scale-14 were used alongside a structured wellness-program questionnaire. Hypothesis: students participating in school-based intervention programs report better wellness indicators than non-participants. Results showed that 38.6% of students exhibited depressive symptoms, while participants of structured wellness programs reported significantly higher resilience and lower stress (p<0.05). The discussion situates findings within Hong Kong's three-tier mental health policy and suggests strengthening universal-level promotion. The study concludes that whole-school, multi-tiered wellness frameworks are essential for sustaining adolescent psychological well-being in academically demanding contexts