Prof. Amy Chow

chowamy@hku.hk
(852) 3917 5530
CJT-544
 HKU Research Hub
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Prof. CHOW Y.M. Amy

Professor, Head of Department / Si Yuan Professor in Health and Social Work

Professor Chow is the Head of the Department, Si Yuan Professor in Health and Social Work and Master of the University’s New College. She has a background as a registered social worker specializing in bereavement counselling and is the founder of the first community-based bereavement counselling centre in Hong Kong. She has formerly acted as Secretary of the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) and Board Member of the Asia Pacific Hospice Network (APHN). As a recognised translational scientist in thanatology, Professor Chow was elected as the Chairperson of the prestigious International Workgroup on Death, Dying and Bereavement. Currently, within the university, Professor Chow is the Director of the Jockey Club End-of-Life Community Care Project and Associate Director of Sau Po Centre of Ageing. She serves the Lotteries Fund Advisory Committee as well as Boards of Directors of other NGOs in Hong Kong. She is also the first and current Chairperson of the Steering Committee of the Hong Kong Academy of Social Work.

Professor Chow’s scholarship and contribution to social work practice have been recognized by the following awards: Cross-Cultural Award, (ADEC) (2005); Cadenza Fellowship (2008); Best Abstract Award (Researcher) (2010); Distinguished Alumni Award (2013) (CUHK); Rainbow of Life Outstanding Individual Award (2013); Outstanding Social Worker Award (2014); Outstanding Teaching Award of the University of Hong Kong (2014); Outstanding Research Output Awards (2017-2018) (University of Hong Kong) and Research Recognition Award (ADEC) (2020).

Publications

  • Brewin, C. R., Cloitre, M., Chow, A.Y.M. & Maercker, A. (in press) Disorders specifically associated with stress. In G.M. Reed, P. L.J. Ritchie, & A. Maercker (Eds.), A Psychological Approach to Diagnosis Using the ICD-11 as a Framework. New York, NY: International Union of Psychological Science and the American Psychological Association.
  • Jiao, K., Chow, A.Y.M.*, Wang, J., & Chan, I.K.N. (In press). Factors facilitating positive outcomes in community-based end-of-life care: A cross-sectional qualitative study of patients and family caregivers. Palliative Medicine.
  • Yan, B., Lo, R, S. K., & Chow, A.Y.M. (2021). The role of post-loss anxiety in the development of depressive symptoms and complicated grief symptoms: a longitudinal SEM study. Journal of Affective Disorders. 281, 649-656.
  • Xiu, D., Chow, A.Y.M. *, Tang, S. (2020). Predictive factors for differential changes in grief symptoms following group bereavement intervention for Chinese widowed older adults. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 27(3), 267-277.
  • Tang, S., Chow, A.Y.M.*, Breen, L. J., & Prigerson, H. G. (2020). Can grief be a mental disorder? An online survey on public opinion in mainland China. Death Studies, 44(3), 152-159.
  • Chow, A.Y.M.*, Caserta, M., Lund, D., Suen, M. H. P., Xiu, D., Chan, I. K. N. & Chu, K. S. M. (2019). Dual-process bereavement group intervention (DPBGI) for widowed older adults. Gerontologist, 59(5), 983-994. doi: 10.1093/geront/gny095.

Externally funded research

  • Bereavement support in COVID-19: Research, Training and Support (Collaborated with Beijing Normal University)
  • Impact of COVID-19 on Health Social Workers and Social Work Practice (International Collaborative Project)
  • The pre-death bereavement care in end-of-life care: what, how and for whom? (UGC General Research Fund)
  • 6-year End-of-Life Community Care Project (Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust)
  • Co-constructing Cultural Competence in Death and Bereavement through Inter-University Synchronous Online Learning (Teaching Development Grant)
  • Developing Virtual Reality in practice-related training in Bachelor of Social Work Programme (UGC Teaching Development Grant)
  • Comparing the Effectiveness of Integrative Body-Mind -Spirit Group Intervention and Cognitive-Behavioral Group on Quality of Life and Psycho-Social-Spiritual Distress for Lung Cancer Patients and their Family Caregivers: A Randomized Controlled Trial (UGC General Research Grant)

Key Community Services

  • Chairperson, International Workgroup of Death, Dying and Bereavement
  • Chairperson, Steering Committee, Hong Kong Academy of Social Work
  • Member, Social Work Training Fund Committee, Hong Kong SAR Government
  • Member, Lotteries Fund Advisory Committee, Hong Kong SAR Government
  • Member, Committee on End-of-Life Care, The Hong Kong Medical Association
  • Member, Council of Society for Life and Death Education
  • Member, Board of Directors, Suicide Prevention Services
  • Honorary Treasurer, Institute of Cognitive Therapy