Promoting Mental Well-being for Secondary School Students Through an Experiential Learning Activity

Mental health problems in adolescents are a global problem and are becoming more prevalent in Hong Kong. Indeed, the rising incidence of emotional disturbances, adjustment and eating problems, depression, and suicidal tendencies have become major public health concerns. Over the past few decades, Hong Kong has experienced a significant change in family structure, with an increase in small nuclear. Therefore, children may be overprotected by parents and become more fragile and less resilient to psychological distress, in the meantime, parents' high expectations for children's academic increase the pressure on the teenagers. As resilience can promote better mental well-being with reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms, It is crucial for healthcare professionals to collaborate with youth centers in the community to build effective health promotion programs in schools that can enhance the resilience of adolescents and foster the development of their coping mechanisms and positive mental well-being so that adolescents can better combat mental health problems and lead healthier lives. Adventure-based training rests on a theory of experiential learning, which involves a four-step model of concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation, and active experimentation. In adventure-based training, participants are required to join the activities which are psychologically and physically demanding. They may experience frustration and anxiety in the earlier stages, but this is potentially therapeutic as it can facilitate the process of concrete experience by encouraging them to accept an innovative approach in dealing with challenges. During the adventure process, the emphasis is placed on changing the dysfunctional and negative actions of team members into functional and positive actions, and on the interaction between team members in accomplishing different challenging tasks. Participants experience difficulties and look for possibilities, and with the