Dr. WONG W.C. Paul

paulw@hku.hk
(852) 3917 5029
CJT-511
 HKU Research Hub
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Prof. WONG W.C. Paul

Associate Professor

Professor Wong is an accredited registered clinical psychologist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at The University of Hong Kong. He has a background as a registered clinical psychologist specializing in suicide prevention research and mental health promotion and practice since 2003. His recent research projects encompass various areas, including youth social withdrawal behaviour, the utilization of animals in educational and psychological interventions, positive youth development among local and non-Chinese young individuals, and family caregiving for individuals with psychological issues and people incarceration. His primary research objective is to foster social inclusion within our society and has published over 120 academic articles and book chapters. He is Co-PIs and Co-Is of 4 UGC’s GRF and CRF research projects on mental health-related issues. He is also PIs of JC-Connect: Family support for people with autism spectrum disorders – Phase II, BBJC Phase Two: Holistic service supporting children and youth with incarcerated parents, HKJC – Pilot project for families with miscarriage grief; and Co-PI of LevelMind 2.0 – Youth mental health, and Project leader of Wellness@HKU. Additionally, Professor Wong is the National Member Delegate of The International Union of Psychological Science, Council member and Fellows of the Hong Kong Psychological Society and the Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association. He serves as the Programme Director of the Master of Social Science (Counselling) and has received the Faculty of Social Science’s Research Output and Knowledge Exchange Awards in 2015 and 2020 and 2024, respectively. Moreover, he serves as advisors and consultants of government bodies, i.e., the Education Bureau, and non-governmental organizations, e.g., MindHK, Zubin Foundation, and Youth Outreach.

Publications

  • Zhu. S, Li, X, & Wong, P. W. C. (2023). Risk and protective factors in suicidal behaviour among young people in Hong Kong: A comparison study between children and adolescents. Psychiatry Research, 115059.
  • RCC Pang, MSH Ho, Wong, P.W.C. (2023). A Review of the literature on the multiple forms of stigmatization of caregivers of children with autism among ethnic minority groups - Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, pp.1-15.
  • Wong, P. W., Su, X., Yu, R. W., & Li, T. M. (2022). Reengaging youth with prolonged social withdrawal behaviours in Hong Kong: Efficacy of an intervention programme Involving Human and Non-human partners. Child & Youth Services, 1-19.
  • Wong, P. W. C., Lam, Y. Y., Lau, J. S.P., Fok, H. K. & et al. (2022). Adapting and pretesting the World Health Organization’s Caregiver Skills Training Program for children with autism and developmental disorders or delays in Hong Kong. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 16932.
  • Zhu, S., Zhuang, Y., Lee, P., Li, J. C.-M., & Wong, P. W. C.(2021). Leisure and problem gaming behaviours among children and adolescents during school closures caused by COVID-19 in Hong Kong: a quantitative cross-sectional survey study. JMIR serious games, 9(2), e26808.

Externally funded research

  • A Sequential Qualitative Study to Examine the Changes of Social Identity and Belongingness of the South Asian Young Ethnic Minority in Hong Kong during the 2019 Social Unrest by Special Public Policy Research Fund, HKD235,358, PI
  • Promotion of empathy and prosocial behavior among P.2 to P.3 children through a six session humane education and social and emotional learning curriculum with trained dogs in Hong Kong, PI, HKD4,579,432, by Donation from Keswick Foundation
  • JC A-Connect: Jockey Club Autism Support Network (Phase II) – The adaptation and evaluation of the WHO- Caregiver Skills Training Porgramme, PI, HKD47,220,000, by JC Charities Trust
  • JC JoyAge: Jockey Club Holistic Support Project for Elderly Mental Wellness (Phase 2), Co-I, HKD5,936,000, by JC Charities Trust
  • The long term impact of diverse parental migration experiences on youth transition to adulthood: A case study from Southeast Asia, Co-I, HKD1,262,336, by GRF
  • E2Power: Engagement and empowerment of communities through social capital development, Co-I, HKD7,000,000, by Research Impact Fund
  • Community-based Youth Mental Wellness Hubs, Co-I, HKD119,150,000, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust

Honors

  • Outstanding Knowledge Exchange Award (2023-2024) awarded by the Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong;
  • Outstanding Knowledge Exchange Award (2020-2021) awarded by the Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong;
  • Outstanding Research Output (2012-13) awarded by the Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong;
  • National Member Delegate of HKSAR for The International Union of Psychological Science (since 2021)
  • Honorary Research Fellow of The Hong Kong Police College, The Hong Kong Police Force (since 2015)
  • National Representative (Hong Kong) of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (2010-2015)
  • Research Fellow of the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention (since 2010), and Centre on Ageing (since 2013), The University of Hong Kong

Key Community Services

  • Fellow and Council Member, The Hong Kong Psychological Society
  • Fellow and Council Member, The Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association
  • Member of Advisory Committee, MindHK
  • Member of Advisory Committee, Zubin Foundation
  • Member of Advisory Committee, Richmond Foundation
  • Member of Advisory Committee, Youth Outreach