Ng Man-Lun

Professor (Reader)

Department of Psychiatry

The University of Hong Kong

Educational Background:

After graduated MB.,BS in the University of Hong Kong, received full time training in General Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry, Queen Mary Hospital. From 1976 to 1977, received further training in group, individual psychotherapy and sex therapy in the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London and in Tavistock Centre, London.

Research Interests:

The theories and application of psychological methods in the treatment of neurotic illnesses in the Chinese, the study of sexual behavior and its influencing factors.

Summary and elaboration of research work:

There have been many theories throwing doubts on the applicability of the Western type of psychotherapy in the treatment of neurotic illnesses in the Chinese. My work has tried to cast away or solve these doubts using the theoretical and evidence-based approaches. Testing different forms of group methods in the community meeting, I demonstrated that community meetings in Chinese psychiatric wards decreased ward incidents, and that patient participation was a significant therapeutic factor.

Psychogenic sexual dysfunction and related sexual problems are key examples of neurotic illnesses. I studied the factors contributing to them using clinical and non-clinical subjects of different age and background. It was found that sexual beliefs and values exert differential influences, prompting to the need to reclassify neurotic illnesses. The finding led to the development of new devices in sex therapy for patients of different sexual psychology.

Future studies will focus on the delineation of "love-maps" in the Chinese and the mathematical modeling of psychotherapeutic processes in treating Chinese neurotic patients.

Selected publications:

  1. Lieh Mak & M.L. Ng (1981). Ejaculatory incompetence in the Chinese. American Journal of. Psychiatry, 138:5, 685-686.

  2. M.L. Ng, Y.K. Tam & S.L. Luk (1982). Evaluation of different forms of community meeting in a psychiatric unit in Hong Kong. British Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 491-497.

  3. M. L. Ng (1985). Psychoanalysis for the Chinese-applicable or not applicable. International Review of Psychoanalysis, Vol. 12, Part 4, 449-460.

  4. M.L. Ng (1988). Sex therapy for the Chinese in Hong Kong. Sexual and Marital Therapy, Vol. 3, no. 2, 245-252.

  5. M.P. Lau, M.L. Ng (1989). Homosexuality in Chinese culture. Culture, Medicine & Psychiatry, 13, 465-488.

  6. M.L. Ng, M.P. Lau (1990). Sexual attitudes in the Chinese. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 19:4, 273-388.

  7. M.L. Ng (1992). Treatment of a case of resistant vaginismus using modified Mien-ling, Sexual and Marital Therapy. 7:3, 295-299.

  8. M.L. Ng (1993) The community meeting - a review, International Journal of Social Psychiatry. 38:3, 179-188.

  9. P.K.Luis, C.F.Cheung, K.L.Chan, & M.L.Ng (1993) Differential erosion of three traditional Chinese sexual values in Hong Kong. In Sexuality in Asia (Ed. M.L.Ng & L.S. Lam), Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists, Hong Kong. pp. 7-20.

  10. M.L. Ng (1994). Treatment of functional sexual disorders, the role of drugs. Medical Progress. 21:8, 5-11.

  11. M.L. Ng (1994). Psychosexual counseling of impotence. International Journal of Impotence Research, 6 (Supplement 1): S6.

  12. J. H. Hong, M.S. Fan, M.L. Ng, L.Lee, P.K. Lui and Y.H. Choy (1994). Sexual attitude and behavior of university students in Shanghai. Journal of Sex Education and Sex Therapy. 20:4, 277-286.

  13. M.S.Fan, J.H. Hong, M.L.Ng, L.Lee, P.K.Lui, Y.H.Choy (1995) Western influences on Chinese sexuality: insights from a comparison of the sexual behavior of Shanghai and Hong Kong freshmen at universities. Journal of Sex Education and Sex Therapy. 21:3, 158-166.

  14. M.L. Ng, & E.J. Haeberle (1997). Sexual Behavior in Modern China -- A report of the nationwide Sex-Civilization Survey on 20,000 subjects in China. New York, Continuum. (ISBN 0-8264-0886-9)

  15. M.L.Ng (1998). Psychological factors in sexual dysfunction. Medical Progress. 25:11, 23-28.

  16. M.L.Ng (1999) Vaginismus: symptom, disease or culture-bound syndrome (Leading Article). Sexual and Marital Therapy. 14:1, 9-13.