bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Anthea Rowan

Nobody talked about mental health when my mother was diagnosed with depression in the 1970s.
“What’s she got to be depressed about?” people asked.
Today, there is no need for a reason. We now understand that depression – indeed any mental health disorder – can happen for no reason, and it can happen to anyone of any background, education, creed or colour.
My daughter battles with OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Her pain has been no less than that of someone who struggled with the same disorder a generation or two ago.
Her journey has probably been made a little easier because we are talking about mental health and OCD; more people understand it, and there are more and better treatment options.
In mum’s case, the whispering behind closed doors must have made her experience even harder than it had to be, and much more isolating.

From the late 1980s, people began to discuss depression, as well as other mental health disorders, more openly.
Non-profit organisations like the US-based Mental Health America and the National Alliance on Mental Illness launched public education campaigns, aired public service announcements and shared personal stories to raise awareness and tackle stigma.
The first World Mental Health Day was launched in 1992 to do more.
There has also been a significant shift from institutionalised care – like that depicted in the 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest starring Jack Nicholson – to community-based care.


Just as attitudes to mental health have changed, mental health treatment has also transformed, with major advances in pharmacology and psychotherapy.
Dr Michelle Tam, a Hong Kong-based specialist in psychiatry, says that there are many more treatment methods available today.
“Patients also know a lot more, and it’s our job to collaborate with them and other mental health professionals to tailor the best possible options for them,” she says.
Among the most significant changes has been the development of better medications, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac.
Introduced in the 1980s, this class of antidepressant drugs works by increasing the amount of serotonin, the happy hormone, in the brain to improve mood and treat conditions like depression, anxiety disorders and OCD.
These medicines revolutionised depression and anxiety treatment, offering more effective and better-tolerated options than earlier antidepressants, which included antipsychotics and the tricyclic antidepressants my mother was prescribed.
There is definitely more variety, Tam says.
“Each carries its pros and cons … it’s very much an informed and collaborative process, so the expectation is no longer just taking the meds and then expecting side effects to come,” she says, as was the case for my mother.
Psychotherapy – talking with a trained professional to help understand and overcome emotional or mental difficulties – is helpful too, Tam says. The challenge is in picking the “right” kind, and the right kind for a given person’s needs.
My mother had psychoanalysis to elicit the unconscious thoughts and memories contributing to her psychological distress. She said it was useless in her case.
“What’s the point in raking over old coals?” she asked. “Talking about my past is not going to help my future.”
By the time other therapies were available, she had lost heart in “talking therapy”.

Today, there are more and better options suited for different conditions, says Tam. A professional with expertise can recommend the treatment of choice to patients. A patient must get on well with their therapist, though. If they do not, they should find another.
Some of the newer therapies help people see challenges from fresh angles and adjust their behaviour.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, works on increasing a person’s psychological flexibility by helping them accept thoughts and feelings rather than trying to change or quash them.
ACT is built upon six core processes or principles: acceptance; cognitive defusion – that is, distancing yourself from unhelpful thoughts; being present in the moment; self as context or observing self; values clarification; and committed action toward meaningful goals. It is widely adopted for treating anxiety, depression, chronic pain, OCD and stress-related disorders.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a form of “talk therapy” that is regarded as an effective approach mostly for anxiety disorders and depression.
CBT involves active participation between therapist and patient, is goal-focused, and is problem-oriented towards dealing with current issues. There is an emphasis on prevention, and a lot goes into teaching patients how to self-manage. Therapy is structured and often time-limited.
Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) was developed in the 1980s and gained popularity in the treatment of borderline personality disorder and emotion regulation. It teaches practical, life-changing skills for people who struggle to manage their powerful emotions, combining self-acceptance with a drive for positive change.

Family and systemic therapies have been accepted since the 1980s. These focus on family dynamics and can be effective for communication difficulties and chronic conflict in families or couples; behavioural problems in children or adolescents; coping with major life challenges such as divorce, loss or chronic illness; and for mental health issues in one member, such as depression, anxiety or eating disorders, when the whole family needs to understand and support the change.
Art and music therapies are popularly used today, especially in the case of recovering addicts.
Using visual art materials such as paint, clay, crayons or collage to express feelings, thoughts and experiences helps uncover hidden emotions, process trauma, reduce stress and gain self-awareness.
Using musical experiences – making music, listening to it, singing or discussing lyrics – can help to address physical, emotional and social needs.
When my mother was first admitted to the hospital, she was subjected to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Done under general anaesthesia, ECT involves passing small electric currents through the brain to trigger a brief seizure.

It did not cure her. It shocked her back to wellness, briefly, and affected her short-term memory – one of the side effects, along with headaches.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest had been released four years before my mother had ECT. The ECT experience of Jack Nicholson’s character, Randle McMurphy, as he bit down on a gag, in a psychiatric ward managed by the cruel Nurse Ratched, left viewers shaken.
Welcome changes in mental health treatments and awareness in the decades since have ushered in more effective healing and greater acceptance.
Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.


How to build the perfect luxury gym, like Jennifer Aniston, Hailey Bieber and the Kardashians

3 Year of the Horse 2026 events in Hong Kong to welcome the new year with a gallop

Social media stars aged 82 and 70 prove it’s never too late to become influencers

Inside Ananda in the Himalayas, whose clients include King Charles, Melinda French Gates and Oprah Winfrey

Wellness

How attitudes towards mental health and treatment have evolved from stigma to support

Writer Anthea Rowan’s mother (left) was diagnosed with depression in the 1970s, while her daughter (right) struggles with OCD today. Treatment for mental health issues has evolved as stigma has declined. Photo: Anthea Rowan

Years ago, being diagnosed with a mental illness would have felt more isolating than it is today. Photo: Shutterstock

Psychotherapy helps combat mental illness. The challenge is in picking the “right” kind. Photo: Shutterstock

Acceptance and commitment therapy works on increasing a person’s psychological flexibility by helping them accept thoughts and feelings rather than trying to change or quash them. Photo: Shutterstock

A still from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest of Jack Nicholson’s character receiving electroconvulsive therapy. Photo: United Artists

How stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues put your heart at risk

Managing stress is important for heart health as left unchecked, it can lead to physical inactivity, poor diet and disrupted sleep. These are factors that increase inflammation, which can trigger heart problems. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Boon Lim is a London-based consultant cardiologist. Photo: Dr Boon Lim

Modern weight-loss drugs often come as costly weekly injections, but drug companies are developing versions in pill form instead. Photo: Shutterstock

AI is playing a key role in improving surgical outcomes – whether a heart bypass or a valve replacement, surgeons are being aided by AI-assisted robots. Photo: Shutterstock

RNA-based therapies, already in use in the treatment of cancer, target the instructions your cells rely on to make proteins. Photo: Shutterstock

The University of Washington School of Medicine’s new 3D printer Stomp can help build mini models of human tissues. Photo: The University of Washington

Cardiologist Dr Myles Chan says the death rates from heart disease and coronary heart disease in Hong Kong fell from 1981 to 2023. Photo: CUHK

Why alcohol is so bad for the brain and how any amount increases dementia risk

Any amount of alcohol may increase the risk of dementia, according to a new study led by the University of Oxford. Photo: Shutterstock

Anya Topiwala is a researcher in the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Population Health and a consultant psychiatrist. Photo: University of Oxford

Drinking alcohol can affect the frontal lobe, a part of the brain that is also affected by dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

A big problem with alcohol is that it does not just lower inhibitions, it also lowers resolve. Photo: Shutterstock

Alcohol disrupts the gut-brain axis by affecting the gut biome, triggering inflammatory responses. Photo: Shutterstock

With the proliferation of low-alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks, it is possible to celebrate without drinking any alcohol. Photo: Shutterstock

How erectile dysfunction links to poor mental health and vice versa, and what can help

More than half of all men at some time in their lives experience some form of erectile dysfunction, according to a widely cited study. Photo: Shutterstock

More than a quarter of men under 40 have experienced ED. Photo: Shutterstock 

Hong Kong urologist Dr Andrew Yip. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Hong Kong psychotherapist Asa Sanderson. Photo: Asa Sanderson

Viagra use is now seen as normal, even among young men. Photo: AFP

The key to overcoming ED is to work with a knowledgeable specialist to find a long-term sustainable solution, Sanderson says. Photo: Shutterstock

How to stop panic attacks: expert tips on bringing them under control and managing related anxiety, and how a woman dealt with hers

Painting and spending time in nature have helped Debra Low overcome panic attacks. Photo: Jan Kok

Panic attacks can be debilitating. Spending time in nature, long walks and painting all help Debra Low de-stress and prevent her attacks and the related anxiety. Photo: Jan Kok

Painting and spending time in nature has helped Debra Low manage her panic attacks. Photo: Jan Kok

Panic attacks can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender and background, says Singapore-based psychiatrist Dr Lim Boon Leng. Photo: Dr Lim Boon Leng

Symptoms of a panic attack may include a racing heart, trouble breathing, chest discomfort, trembling, dizziness, feelings of impending doom and a loss of control. Photo: Shutterstock

Peer groups can be immensely helpful in coping with panic attacks, says Justin Loo, the head of programmes at mental health charity Resilience Collective in Singapore. Photo: Justin Loo

A creative outlet such as painting often helps people to de-stress and reduce panic attacks. Photo: Jan Kok

Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

Family & Relationships

On World Mental Health Day, Anthea Rowan considers the ways treatments and attitudes have changed in the last half a century


On World Mental Health Day, Anthea Rowan considers the ways treatments and attitudes have changed in the last half a century.


Mental health

Disease

5050

How attitudes towards mental health and treatment have evolved from stigma to support

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}On World Mental Health Day, Anthea Rowan considers the ways treatments and attitudes have changed in the last half a century

On World Mental Health Day, Anthea Rowan considers the ways treatments and attitudes have changed in the last half a century