Prof. TANG So Kum, CatherineCatherineProf. TANG So Kum2026-05-292026-05-292026Tang, S. K. (2026). Generations in transition and adversity: Mapping resilience and mental health functioning among Chinese in Hong Kong from generation alpha to baby boomers. In Hong Kong Shue Yan University (Ed.). Conference proceeding of international conference on human resilience: Navigating life changes & challenges (HRCONF2026). International Conference on Human Resilience: Navigating Life Changes & Challenges (HRCONF2026), Hong Kong Shue Yan University (pp. 51-52). Hong Kong Shue Yan University.http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11861/27279Generation membership exerts a profound influence on mental well being through distinct historical trajectories, sociocultural norms, technological contexts, and cumulative life experiences. Beyond chronological age effects, generational cohorts differ systematically in their exposure to adversity, access to protective resources, and patterns of resilience, with significant implications for public mental health policy. This keynote presentation synthesizes findings from a series of large scale, interdisciplinary studies conducted by research teams at the Hong Kong Shue Yan University and other local universities. These studies examined resilience processes and mental health functioning among Chinese residents in Hong Kong, spanning Generation Alpha to the Baby Boomer cohorts. Drawing on population based data, the research identifies multilevel psychosocial and community resilience factors associated with mental health outcomes, encompassing individual attributes (such as personal resilience, emotion regulation strategies, and meaning making capabilities), interpersonal resources (including family resilience and social support networks), and broader community and structural supports. The presentation further explores how different generations have navigated childhood adversity, interpersonal trauma, and collective stressors, such as public health emergencies (e.g., successive COVID 19 outbreaks) and community wide disruptions arising from natural and human related disasters. These findings highlight both shared vulnerabilities and cohort specific adaptive pathways shaped by Hong Kong’s unique sociocultural environment. These research findings underscore the limitations of one size fits all mental health approaches and point to the need for generation responsive strategies across sectors. Implications are discussed for the healthcare system in terms of stepped, lifespan oriented mental health services; for the education sector through early identification and school based resilience promotion; and for the social welfare sector via community embedded, family centred, and trauma informed support models. By adopting a multigenerational lens, this presentation aims to inform integrated, evidence based policies that strengthen resilience and psychological well being across the lifespan in a rapidly changing sociocultural context.enConference Paper