Cindy H Liu1, Huijun Li2, Emily Wu3, Esther S Tung4, Hyeouk C Hahm5. 1. Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: chliu@bwh.harvard.edu. 2. Florida A&M University, 1601 S. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA. Electronic address: huijun.li@famu.edu. 3. Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Electronic address: emily.wu@mgh.harvard.edu. 4. Department of Psychology, Boston University, 900 Commonwealth Ave. Floor 2, Boston, MA 02215, USA. Electronic address: etung@bu.edu. 5. School of Social Work, Boston University, 264 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215, USA. Electronic address: hahm@bu.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although parents are often the first to facilitate help-seeking in their children, parental perceptions regarding mental health serve as a significant barrier to the access of mental health services. This study examined mental health perceptions held by Chinese immigrant parents of youth. METHODS: Eighteen parents (13 female, 5 male), who identified as having children between the ages of 13 and 21 years, participated in audio-recorded interviews using five vignettes depicting depression with and without a somatic emphasis, schizophrenia with paranoid features, attenuated psychosis syndrome, and social anxiety in youth. Questions about potential causes, likely diagnosis, and health-seeking behaviors in relation to these vignettes were asked. Interviews were analyzed for themes using a deductive-inductive hybrid approach, informed by the explanatory models that have shed light on Asian perceptions of mental illness and approaches to help-seeking. RESULTS: While Asian groups are often considered as lacking in mental health knowledge, we found that Chinese immigrant parents were comfortable with psychological terminology as it pertained to identifying causes and describing supportive strategies and the seeking of Western-based providers. However, the majority of Chinese immigrant parent respondents did not easily note suicidality. Furthermore, respondents did not consider social anxiety as a major mental health issue among Chinese immigrant parents and attributed social anxiety to personality or cultural differences. DISCUSSION: These findings provide an understanding of how Chinese immigrant parents conceptualize mental illness and help-seeking, which may be helpful for providers when working with Chinese immigrant parents of children that have a mental health concern.
BACKGROUND: Although parents are often the first to facilitate help-seeking in their children, parental perceptions regarding mental health serve as a significant barrier to the access of mental health services. This study examined mental health perceptions held by Chinese immigrant parents of youth. METHODS: Eighteen parents (13 female, 5 male), who identified as having children between the ages of 13 and 21 years, participated in audio-recorded interviews using five vignettes depicting depression with and without a somatic emphasis, schizophrenia with paranoid features, attenuated psychosis syndrome, and social anxiety in youth. Questions about potential causes, likely diagnosis, and health-seeking behaviors in relation to these vignettes were asked. Interviews were analyzed for themes using a deductive-inductive hybrid approach, informed by the explanatory models that have shed light on Asian perceptions of mental illness and approaches to help-seeking. RESULTS: While Asian groups are often considered as lacking in mental health knowledge, we found that Chinese immigrant parents were comfortable with psychological terminology as it pertained to identifying causes and describing supportive strategies and the seeking of Western-based providers. However, the majority of Chinese immigrant parent respondents did not easily note suicidality. Furthermore, respondents did not consider social anxiety as a major mental health issue among Chinese immigrant parents and attributed social anxiety to personality or cultural differences. DISCUSSION: These findings provide an understanding of how Chinese immigrant parents conceptualize mental illness and help-seeking, which may be helpful for providers when working with Chinese immigrant parents of children that have a mental health concern.
Authors: Ahtoy J WonPat-Borja; Lawrence H Yang; Bruce G Link; Jo C Phelan Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2010-11-16 Impact factor: 4.328
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Authors: Lawrence H Yang; Valerie Purdie-Vaughns; Hiroki Kotabe; Bruce G Link; Anne Saw; Gloria Wong; Jo C Phelan Journal: Soc Sci Med Date: 2013-04-10 Impact factor: 4.634