Alan Tong

 

Research interest 

Public mental health promotion, Negativity, Dialectical thinking, Technology and mental health interventions, Collective action and social justice 

 

Bio 

I obtained my Bachelor of Psychological Science at the University of Queensland, and my Master of Psychological Medicine at the University of Hong Kong. Upon graduation, I have worked in various disciplines including psychology, psychiatry, nursing and public health.  

 

Throughout the years, I have participated extensively in well-being research and have worked with people with different mental health needs. I took part in a number of large scale community-based intervention studies and these experiences consolidate my interest and aspiration in promoting holistic mental health in the public. 

 

Currently as a PhD student, my research focus sits on the boarder of mental health communication and second-wave positive psychology. I’m trying to advocate a shift in message choice in mental health promotion campaigns, from an mono-positive account to a dialectical account that reconciles both the bright- and dark-sides of life. I’m also interested in the soothing power of negativity in particular.  

 

“Only in the darkness can you see the stars.” - Martin Luther King, Jr. 

 

Beautiful isn’t it? ;) 

 

Hobbies and other interests 

I’m a great fan of football. Everything related to football captures my full attention. I’m also fascinated by existential philosophy, quantum mechanics in explaining consciousness, and the ancient astronauts hypothesis of creation in exploring the origin of humankind. 

 

Selected publications 

1. Tong, A. C. Y., Chang, W. C., Chan, A. N. Y., Lin, J. J. X. (2019). Objective and subjective cognitive functioning in relation to psychopathology among women with early psychosis. Early intervention in psychiatry, 13, 1227-1235. DOI: 10.1111/eip.12760 

2. Mak, W. W. S., Tong, A. C. Y., Yip, S. Y. C., Lui, W. W. S., Chio, F. H. N., Chan, A. T. Y., & Wong, C. C. Y. (2018) Efficacy and moderation of mobile application-based mindfulness-based training, self-compassion training, and cognitive-behavioral psychoeducation on mental health: A randomized controlled, non-inferiority trial. JMIR Mental Health, 5(4), e60. DOI: 10.2196/mental.8597 

3. Chio, F. H., Mak, W. W., Chan, R. C., & Tong, A. C. (2018). Unraveling the insight paradox: One-year longitudinal study on the relationships between insight, self-stigma, and life satisfaction among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Schizophrenia research, 197, 124-130. DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.01.014 

4. Chan, R. C., Mak, W. W., Chio, F. H., & Tong, A. C. (2018). Flourishing with psychosis: a prospective examination on the interactions between clinical, functional, and personal recovery processes on well-being among individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Schizophrenia bulletin, 44(4), 778-786. DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbx120 

5. Tong, A. C. Y., Lin, J. J. X., Cheung, V. Y. K., Lau, N. K. M., Chang, W. C., Chan, S. K. W., ... & Chen, E. Y. H. (2016). A low‐Intensity mindfulness‐based intervention for mood symptoms in people with early psychosis: Development and pilot evaluation. Clinical psychology & psychotherapy, 23(6), 550-560. DOI: 10.1002/cpp.1981 

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