Angry, fearful Hong Kong needs to call a truce and get some sleep, even if it can’t end the unrest
- Three months in, people on both sides of the divide are making unfair generalisations, dehumanising each other and deepening the conflict. The city badly needs to take a break and move away from destructive, emotional behaviour
First, polarisation, dehumanisation and radicalisation. We’ve seen rapid polarisation and escalation in both the physical force and rhetoric used by police and protesters.
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Since September 11, it has been clear that exposure to gruesome footage alone can affect mental health, especially among those who were vulnerable to begin with.
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Another factor hurting mental health is sleep deprivation. Many newsworthy events have unfolded on television in the evening. It can be difficult to turn the news off in the middle of a violent clash, and fall asleep with disturbing images fresh in the mind.
Many have offered solutions to help de-escalate the conflict. Here we throw in a few more as clinical psychologists and researchers.
Firstly, we need a truce. Everyone is exhausted. A week or two of peace will allow us all to get some rest and gradually move away from emotion-driven behaviour. Fear and anger – the two emotions that seem most pervasive in the city – might drive us to make decisions we regret. With some time to rest and reflect, both individually and collectively, all parties can start making more rational and balanced decisions.
Secondly, this crisis should be treated as a public health disaster. Using a disaster-relief framework allows us to deploy health and mental health professionals accordingly. Also, within this framework, survivors need to feel safe and have their feelings validated. Now might not be the right time to settle scores and point fingers. Instead, both protesters and frontline police officers need to be heard and feel understood without being accused, regardless of whether or not we agree with them. Only then can the hatred start to dissipate and the conflict de-escalate.
Thirdly, we need a campaign to remind ourselves of our common identities, as Hongkongers and human beings. What is ironic and particularly heartbreaking is that all parties – protesters, police, Lam and her administration and perhaps even triad members – believe that they are protecting Hong Kong, their home, our home.
We ought not to dismiss our pain and suffering; nor should we trivialise the politics. But, we suggest – concurrent to pursuing justice – we can turn to the arts for healing and reconciliation. Theatre, comedy, poetry, writing and the like are non-destructive ways to express ourselves and our visions. They help us recognise our common humanity. We should also see our friends and family for who they are, not some cold political opponents. To weather the storms yet to come, we need each another.
Christian Chan, PhD, is an associate professor and Frendi Li, PhD, an associate professor of practice in the Department of Psychology at the University of Hong Kong