The Effectiveness and Cost-effectiveness of Mental Wellness Youth Hub

The proposed study is to be carried out with 6000-7000 youths aged 12 - 24 in Hong Kong. The purpose of the study is to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a Hub project for young people: LevelMind@JC. This study is conducted by LevelMind@JC in collaboration with partnering NGOs including the Boys' \& Girls' Clubs Association of Hong Kong (BGCA), Caritas Hong Kong, Hong Kong Federation of Youth's Group (HKFYG), Hong Kong Playground Association (HKPA), Hong Kong Children and Youth Services (HKCYS) and St James' Settlement (SJS). It is a 1-year quasi experimental controlled study which aims to examine if these hubs can enhance young people's cognitive abilities, personal strengths and overall mental well-being. 1800 participants would be recruited, including 600 Hub users, 600 non-hub users (but receiving services from participating NGOs), and 600 community youth not receiving any youth services. Participants will be assessed at baseline and follow-ups (e.g., 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months); completing questionnaires and answering questions during a 3- hour interview. Hub users with mild to moderate mental distress will receive different psychological treatments according to their needs. For youths who are at risk for mental disorders, diagnostic and medical assessment services will be delivered by psychiatrists or clinical psychologists. Findings will allow us to better understand the effectiveness of this kind of community-based hubs for young people, improve mental wellness training of youth social workers; and in a long run, develop a community-based support model that is sustainable, scalable and replicable.