Faculty
Image
Photo credit: Yau Hung-Kee

Winnie W. S. MAK

Qualifications: Ph.D., UCSB
Appointment: Professor
Office: Rm 333, Chen Kou Bun Building
Email: wwsmak@cuhk.edu.hk
Tel: 3943 6577
Fax: 2603 5019

Brief Introduction

I am a community-based clinical psychologist who works closely with people with lived experience to translate research into practice. My research focuses on stigma and diversity, mental health promotion through technologies, and the application of Buddhist psychology for individual and collective well-being. I co-founded the social enterprise StoryTaler (https://www.storytalerhk.org/) and developed an online mental health platform (Jockey Club TourHeart+ Project, https://www.jcthplus.org/) in Hong Kong. Our Diversity and Well-being Lab aims to promote social equity and well-being for all, and this mission drives our research and related activities. 

Research Interests

Stigma

Digital mental health

Buddhist psychology

Community psychology

Recent Projects

  • Jockey Club TourHeart+ Project —Digital Platform for Mental Health

  • Birth to Work: Landscape Study on Children’s and Youth Mental Health in Hong Kong

  • User involvement in personalized digital mental health

  • Buddhist Psychology on Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability

Teaching Areas

  • PSYC6620- Health & Community Psychology 

Publications

Digital Mental Health:

Auyeung, L., Mak, W. W. S., & Tsang, E. Z. (2026) Beyond efficacy: Eliciting preference for face-to-face and digital psychological interventions among people with depression using discrete choice experiment. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 21, 100880. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100880

Chan, A. T. Y., Li, C. M., Tong, A. C. Y., Freeman, D., Koh, Y. M., & Mak, W. W. S. (2025). An Automated Virtual Reality Cognitive-Behavioural Preventive Intervention for Adults with Agoraphobic Symptoms: A Randomised Controlled Trial of adapted gameChange in Hong Kong. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. DOI: 10.1159/000549113

Auyeung, L., Mak, W. W. S., Tsang, E. Z., & Yang, P. L. (2025). Impact of a digital decision aid when choosing between face-to-face and guided Internet-based psychological interventions for depression among Chinese-speaking participants in Hong Kong: Randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27, e54727. https://doi.org/10.2196/70436

Auyeung, L., Tsang, E. Z., & Mak, W. W. S. (2025). Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to design an online direct-to-consumer marketing of Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for people with depression: Randomized controlled trial. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 19,100695, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100695

Tong, A. C. Y., Wong, K. T. Y., Chung, W. T., & Mak, W. W. S. (2025). Effectiveness of topic-based chatbots on mental health self-care and mental well-being: Randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27, e70436. https://doi.org/10.2196/70436

Stigma:

Mak, W. W. S., Chio, F. H. N., Tsoi, E. W. S., & Lam, M. W. (2026). Development and validation of the Workplace Mental Illness Stigma Scale from diverse working adults in Hong Kong. Stigma and Health. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/sah0000695.

Yu, B. C. L., Chio, F. H. N., Cheung, R. Y. M., Kakani K., Mak, W. W. S. (2025). How does family face relate to intention to seek therapist-guided and digital self-guided psychological interventions? Mediating effects of interdependent stigma and help-seeking attitudes. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-025-02990-5

Chan, R. C. H., Hung, F. N., & Mak, W. W. S. (2025). Evolving experiences of HIV stigma and their impact on well-being: A serial cross-sectional study of people living with HIV in Hong Kong from 2012 to 2022. SSM-Mental Health, 100415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100415

Fong, T. H. C., & Mak, W. W. S. (2022). Effects of Internet-based storytelling programs (Amazing Adventure Against Stigma) in reducing mental illness stigma with mediation by interactivity and stigma content: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(8), e37973.

Yuen, A. S. Y. & Mak, W. W. S. (2021). The effects of immersive virtual reality in reducing public stigma in the university population of Hong Kong: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(7), e23683.

Buddhist Psychology:

Chio, F. H. N., Yu, B. C. L., Mak, W. W. S. (2026). Equitable and sustainable well-being for all: A longitudinal investigation of nonattachment as a moderator of the relationship between interconnectedness and social and environmental engagement. British Journal of Psychology.

Sik, H. T., Yu, B. C. L., Chan, R. M. K., Ho, C. Y. Y., & Mak, W. W. S. (2026). Being mindful with discernment: Development and validation of the Mindfulness-Discernment Scale (MDS). Mindfulness, 17, 922-944. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-026-02770-5

Shen, K. H. L., Yu, B. C. L., Mak, W. W. S., Lai, L. W. L. (2025). From indifference to advocacy: Investigating the effects of interconnectedness and critical reflection on promoting collective action intention within LGBT+ and heterosexual cisgender individuals. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.

Yu, B. C. L., Mak, W. W. S., Chio, F. H. N., Sik, H. T., & Chan, R. M. K. (2025). A longitudinal investigation of the relative temporal association of tranquility, concentration, and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) with nonattachment and mental health. Applied Research in Quality of Life, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-025-10443-z

Yu, B. C. L., Mak, W. W. S., Leung, I. W. Y., & Chio, F. H. N. (2021). Reducing stigma through interconnectedness and compassion: A Buddhism-based approach to reduce stigma towards people with mental illness. Mindfulness. 12(7), 1779-1790. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-021-01640-6

Other Positions

  • Research Director, CUHK-NCKU Joint Research Centre for Positive Social Science
  • Professor (by courtesy), Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, CUHK

Editorial Boards

  • Mindfulness

  • Internet Interventions

  • Mental Health & Prevention

Honors and Awards