NEWS
USR
- Publish Date：2025-06-18
21 Years of Community Mental Health Service: NYCU Crusade Bring Light and Hope to Patients This Summer
NYCU Crusade Mental Health Service Team has set off for Kai-Syuan Hospital to provide compassionate patient care.
Translated by Szu-Yung Huang
Edited by Chance Lai
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Edited by Chance Lai
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For the 21st consecutive year, student volunteers from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) are bringing warmth, empathy, and human connection to psychiatric patients in Taiwan. From June 16 to 25, the NYCU Crusade Mental Health Service Team spends 10 days at Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital, continuing a long-standing mission to support mental health through hands-on, community-based care.
This summer, the team—comprised of 30 first- and second-year students from NYCU’s School of Medicine, Department of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology, and Department of Biomedical Engineering—will be accompanying patients through a range of therapeutic and recreational activities: gardening, group exercise, cognitive games, and outdoor trips, all designed to boost confidence, encourage social interaction, and bring joy.
A Legacy of Compassion: Over Two Decades of Service
The NYCU Crusade Mental Health Service Team, established in 2004, draws inspiration from the legendary Yang-Ming Crusade, a pioneering volunteer team founded in 1978 by Professor Pesus Chou of the Institute of Public Health at what was then National Yang-Ming Medical College.
Professor Pesus Chou, who dedicated her life to public health, founded the Crusade in 1978 and continues to lead it in service today.
With a mix of idealism and grit, Professor Chou led a group of medical students deep into Taiwan’s rural and remote areas—on their dime—delivering the nation’s first large-scale medical student-led community service. Their mission: cervical cancer prevention, public health education, and bringing medical equipment to underserved populations, even across island chains like Kinmen. Locals nicknamed them “the fools,” but their devotion transformed communities—and the students.
Professor Chou once said that the Crusade’s goal wasn’t just academic. It was about instilling medical ethics and social responsibility through real-world experience. This spirit earned the team Taiwan’s 13th National Medical Dedication Award in 2003. (Read more: NYCU Crusade Website)
This summer, the team—comprised of 30 first- and second-year students from NYCU’s School of Medicine, Department of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology, and Department of Biomedical Engineering—will be accompanying patients through a range of therapeutic and recreational activities: gardening, group exercise, cognitive games, and outdoor trips, all designed to boost confidence, encourage social interaction, and bring joy.
A Legacy of Compassion: Over Two Decades of Service
The NYCU Crusade Mental Health Service Team, established in 2004, draws inspiration from the legendary Yang-Ming Crusade, a pioneering volunteer team founded in 1978 by Professor Pesus Chou of the Institute of Public Health at what was then National Yang-Ming Medical College.
Professor Pesus Chou, who dedicated her life to public health, founded the Crusade in 1978 and continues to lead it in service today.
With a mix of idealism and grit, Professor Chou led a group of medical students deep into Taiwan’s rural and remote areas—on their dime—delivering the nation’s first large-scale medical student-led community service. Their mission: cervical cancer prevention, public health education, and bringing medical equipment to underserved populations, even across island chains like Kinmen. Locals nicknamed them “the fools,” but their devotion transformed communities—and the students.
Professor Chou once said that the Crusade’s goal wasn’t just academic. It was about instilling medical ethics and social responsibility through real-world experience. This spirit earned the team Taiwan’s 13th National Medical Dedication Award in 2003. (Read more: NYCU Crusade Website)
Expanding Reach: New Horizons at Kai-Syuan Hospital
Over the decades, the NYCU Crusade mission has evolved into preventive medicine, chronic disease screening, geriatric care, and human rights education. Recognizing society's growing mental health awareness, NYCU Crusade launched the Mental Health Service Team in 2004 as a specialized branch. Despite early challenges, their efforts soon flourished at institutions like Yuli Veterans Hospital and Jianan Psychiatric Center, establishing long-term collaboration on dignity and recovery.
The team continues this mission through direct service in psychiatric hospitals during winter and summer breaks. Throughout the academic year, they organize on-campus talks, promote mental health awareness, and volunteer at community rehabilitation centers. Their goal: to break stigma, empower patients, and remind society that mental illness is not the end of the road—it’s part of the human story.
This year marks the team’s second partnership with Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital. In addition to returning to its rehab center and halfway house, the students will now work in chronic wards and the Daliao Psychiatric Nursing Home. Activities include gardening therapy, morning exercise, brain games, and outdoor excursions designed to rebuild confidence, spark joy, and strengthen patients’ sense of social connection.
Cultivating Hope: Activities Designed for Engagement
Although the students are not yet in clinical rotations and cannot provide medical treatment, their presence matters deeply. “We’re here to accompany, listen, and let patients feel the warmth of the world beyond the hospital,” the team leader shared. “We hope this experience helps us all reflect on the real meaning of ‘service’—and what it means to be human.”
As these young volunteers bring energy and empathy into psychiatric wards, they’re also planting seeds of change, challenging stigma, promoting understanding, and proving that sometimes, the most potent medicine is simply being there.
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