Mind Space – the mental health experience museum at Castle Peak Hospital (CPH) – opened to the public in August, with 700 free visiting slots available each month through online booking. Dr Jane So, Associate Consultant of CPH says the hospital will be reaching out to tertiary institutions and secondary schools across Hong Kong to encourage students to visit. “Many people today have a positive view towards mental health. However, there are still some misconceptions about patients with mental illness, such as communication difficulties or mood prediction,” explains Dr So. “We hope to help the younger generation foster a better understanding of mental health during the critical period when they are developing their values and cultivate their empathy towards patients with mental illness.”

Mind Space offers a range of interactive elements to enhance the visitor experience. Upon arrival, visitors receive a wristband for registration and can scan QR codes on display boards along their journey. The information of the museum will then be sent to them by email. Pang Shu-leung, Service Manager of Department of Community Psychiatric Service at CPH played a leading role in the design and operation of Mind Space and is encouraged by the reaction of visitors.

“One particularly impressed was a mother who visited the ‘Symptom Experience Rooms’,” he recalls. “She expressed her newfound understanding of her mentally ill daughter’s perspective and the sources of her distress and discomfort. When she looked at her daughter and tenderly touched her hand, it was an incredibly touching moment.”