Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Chinese – Mental health services – Australia'

Research worldwide has found the existence of factors adversely influencing Chinese communities’ access to mental health services. Stigma, shame and ‘loss of face’ have played a major role in the underutilization of mental health services by Chinese communities. However, there is little research available in Canada that examines mental health and the general adult Chinese population, particularly gender effects. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine Chinese women’s experiences of access to mental health services in an urban context in British Columbia. This study was to seek the perspective of Chinese women and providers as to what were the challenges to and facilitators of Chinese women’s access to mental health services. Interpretive description was used as the research method for this study and enabled an analytic framework formulated from existing knowledge in the field. This assisted in developing knowledge about Chinese women’s illness experiences related to access of mental health services. Purposive sampling was used. In-depth interviews with 7 Chinese women, 2 non Chinese women and 2 health care providers were conducted and the data analyzed. Five themes emerged through the data: 1) stigma and mental illness, 2) social supports: connections with families and friends and the double edged sword, 3) language and access, 4) lack of coordinated, seamless care and the intersection with mental health literacy and 5) health care providers and peer support: navigating mental health services. From these findings, several recommendations were made to reduce stigma and improve access to mental health service. Nurses need to provide culturally competent care, for example, by using professional interpreters when appropriate. In addition, nurses need to be aware of mental health services and other relevant resources inside and outside of the health care system. Nurses are in a good position to provide education to increase mental health literacy and reduce stigma. Also, nurses can advocate and collaborate with community agencies, policy decision-markers and other health care professionals to enhance access to services.

Master of Science
Journalism and Mass Communications
Nancy W. Muturi
Background: Depressive and anxiety disorders are common mental health disorders that threaten the well-being of ethnic minorities. Asian international students are suggested experience higher level of depression and anxiety, but less likely to use mental health services than students in general. This study examines factors that motivate and impede Chinese international students from seeking college counseling services from the perspective of health communication. Method: An online, self-administered questionnaire was conducted among a randomized sample of 150 Chinese international students from a Mid-Western university. The questionnaire was structured with key variables derived from the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), such as perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, and self-efficacy of using counseling services. Key variables are measured by 5-point Likert scale. Data analysis was conducted with Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regression. Results: Chinese international students’ counseling seeking behavior is influenced by their perceived self-efficacy and external impediments of using counseling services. Perceived knowledge of mental health disorders and counseling contribute significantly to Chinese international perceived self-efficacy of using counseling services; however, perceived knowledge of the two items are generally low. The adherence of Asian cultural values, especially to collectivism and emotional self-control, contribute significantly to Chinese international students’ negative perceptions of counseling. Conclusion: College counseling services should conduct health communication campaigns that aim at improving Asian international students’ knowledge of depression/anxiety and psychological counseling, in order to encourage them to engage in college counseling system. College counseling services should also enhance the cultural sensitivity of counselors, and provide culture-matched counseling services to Asian international students.

The Chinese population in New Zealand has grown rapidly in recent years, and it has become an important component in New Zealand society. In reality, these Chinese people are likely to be under stress in their new lives, and therefore, at high risk of mental health problems. Moreover, evidence shows that Chinese people are the under-users of mental health services, and that mental health issues among the Chinese population tend to be under-recognised, under-reported and untreated. Therefore, the method of descriptive qualitative study was chosen and semi-structured interviews were carried out to describe how health providers perceive and support mental health needs of Chinese patients in Christchurch. Purposive sampling was used to identify potential participants, namely the health providers, who have experience of working with Chinese people‘s mental health issues. They were recruited from a wide range of health services, including general practice, psychiatry, social work, counselling, project leadership, health promotion, different management roles, nutrition, nursing, and Chinese medicine. Data analysis was assisted by the computer software Nvivo 8, with thematic analysis used to identify themes and sub-themes which emerged from the information of the interviews. From the health providers‘ point of view, migration-related stressors and physical problems all pose risks to Chinese people‘s mental health. Although Chinese clients with mental health problems are not commonly seen in the clinical settings, they do potentially have mental health problems and suffer from these issues, but rarely seek mental health support from mainstream services. The health providers pointed out that although good mental health services and information are offered to local people, the existing health care model and health system do not meet Chinese people‘s mental health needs, due to barriers of language and culture. Under these circumstances, the providers indicated that establishing cultural and linguistic mental health services, and offering education to Chinese people and health providers might be helpful in overcoming cultural barriers, improving low access issues and meeting Chinese people‘s mental health needs. This study also identified a range of mental health problems and some groups among the Chinese population with a high risk of mental health issues, both of which need further investigation.

The 'model minority' label given to Chinese populations in New Zealand and other Western countries have made it difficult to truly comprehend the difficulties faced by some Chinese ethnic minorities. Despite comparable rates and types of mental health problems to their European counterparts, identifiable barriers have led to Chinese ethnic minorities underutilising mental health services. The present study investigated the mental health service utilisation in native- and foreign-born Chinese youth in New Zealand, paying particular attention to barriers to service utilisation and viable solutions for these difficulties. It consisted of three individual projects and explored the views of Chinese community and mental health professionals and Chinese university students, comparing their perspectives to university students of other ethnicities. Findings showed that despite a willingness to seek help from their family and mental health professionals (e.g., psychologists, school counsellors), respondents identified a myriad of obstacles to the help seeking of Chinese youth. These included physical barriers (e.g., financial and transport constraints), personal barriers (e.g., stigma, problems accepting their difficulties), service barriers (e.g., paucity of knowledge regarding mental health problems and available services) and family barriers (e.g., obstruction from family members). Family and service barriers distinguished the difficulties faced by Chinese in comparison to European youth, particularly with regards to the adherence of professionals to stereotypes of Chinese youth, a unique finding of this study. In order to reduce such barriers, the Chinese university students and professionals advocated for greater education regarding mental health problems and services in the Chinese community, education for Chinese parents regarding adolescent issues, an increase in the number of practicing Chinese professionals that is coupled with improved cross-cultural training for non-Chinese professionals, as well as individual assessment and treatment approaches with Chinese youth and their families.
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This study focused on the quantitative and qualitative aspects of suicidal behaviour of 90 people who had come to the attention of the Accident and Emergency Department of Westmead Hospital, Sydney, N.S.W., after an attempt to harm themselves. The risk factors identified in the study were combined with the circumstances and motive of attempt. Participants were regrouped according to whether the problems the respondent described were chronic (longstanding) or acute (pivotal). The participants were further classified according to the persistence of thoughts of self-harm ( impulsive or non-impulsive/deliberate) and the presence or absence of these feelings at the time of the interview (the resolution of the attempt) and the types of problems/situations and triggering events the person described as wanting to escape. By developing strategies and treatments for the problems as they were identified in this study and by raising the awareness that there is help available for these different issues, we may be able to reduce the pain which results in an attempt to self harm.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Australia is experiencing widespread ecosystem degradation, including dryland salinity, erosion and vegetation loss. Approximately 1 million hectares (5.5%) of the south-west agricultural zone of Western Australia is affected by dryland salinity and is predicted to rise to 5.4 million hectares by 2050. Such degradation is associated with many environmental outcomes that may impact on human health, including a decrease in primary productivity, an increase in the number of invasive species, a decrease in the number of large trees, overall decrease in biodiversity, and an increase in dust production. The resulting degradation affects not only farm production but also farm values. This study examines the effects of such severe and widespread environmental degradation on the physical and mental health of residents. Western Australia has an extensive medical record database which links individual health records for all hospital admissions, cancer cases, births and deaths. For the 15 diseases examined in this project, the study area of the south west of Western Australia (excluding the capital city of Perth) contained 1,570,985 morbidity records and 27,627 mortality records for the 15 diseases examined in a population of approximately 460,000. Environmental data were obtained from the Western Australian Department of Agriculture?s soil and landscape mapping database. A spatial Bayesian framework was used to examine associations between these disease and environmental variables. The Bayesian model detected the confounding variables of socio-economic status and proportion of the population identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. With the inclusion of these confounders in the model, associations were found between environmental degradation (including dryland salinity) and several diseases with known environmentally-mediated triggers, including asthma, ischaemic heart disease, suicide and depression. However, once records of individuals who had been diagnosed with coexistent depression were removed from the analysis, the effect of dryland salinity was no longer statistically detectable for asthma, ischaemic heart disease or suicide, although the effects of socio-economic status and size of the Aboriginal population remained. The spatial component of this study showed an association between land degradation and human health. These results indicated that such processes are driving the degree of psychological ill-health in these populations, although it remains uncertain whether this 4 is secondary to overall coexisting rural poverty or some other environmental mechanism. To further investigate this complex issue an instrument designed to measure mental health problems in rural communities was developed. Components of the survey included possible triggers for mental health, including environmental factors. The interview was administered in a pilot study through a telephone survey of a small number of farmers in South-Western Australia. Using logistic regression a significant association between the mental health of male farmers and dryland salinity was detected. However, the sample size of the survey was too small to detect any statistically significant associations between dryland salinity and the mental health of women. The results of this study indicate that dryland salinity, as with other examples of ecosystem degradation, is associated with an increased burden of human disease.

Australia is a culturally diverse country with many migrant and refugee families in need of mental health services. Yet, surveys indicate that many culturally diverse community members do not feel comfortable in accessing mental health services, often due to a limited understanding of current western practices and the lack of practitioner cultural sensitivity. Despite the apparent need, few investigations have been conducted with migrant families to understand their different values and needs, and identify how they adjust to a new culture. The paucity of empirical research is largely due to the number of variables associated with the process of cultural change, and the fact that culture itself may lend different meaning to symptom experience, and the expression thereof. Moreover, because migrant adaptation is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, it is often rendered difficult to investigate. Cultural groups have been observed to exhibit differences in the pathogenesis and expressions of psychological adjustment, thus making culturally sensitive assessment a particularly arduous yet important task. Although the number of studies conducted on cultural adaptation trends of adult migrants is growing, few investigations have examined the acculturation experiences of children and adolescents. Moreover, the link between acculturation and mental health has confounded researchers and practitioners alike. Considering assessment procedures largely influence therapeutic strategies, it is deemed essential that Australian health care professionals understand language, behavioural, and motivational differences between ethnic groups. In response to appeals for empirical data on culture-specific differences and developmental pathways of emotional resiliency and psychopathology, the present research program examines the complex interplay between situational factors and internal processes that contribute to mental health among young migrants and refugees. The research focuses particularly on anxiety, which is not only the most common form of childhood psychopathology but also frequently coincides with stressful life events such as cultural relocation. Two hundred and seventy-three primary and high school students (comprised of former-Yugoslavian and Chinese cultural groups) participated in this research program. Primary (n=131) and high school (n=142) students completed self-report measures of acculturation, internalising symptoms, social support, self-concept/esteem, ethnic identity, and future outlook, and were compared by cultural group, heterogenic ethnicity, school level, gender, and residential duration variables. Specifically, Study 1 aimed to map the cultural adjustment patterns of migrant youth so as to determine both situational and internal process risk and protective factors of emotional distress. The main findings from Study 1 indicate: (1) patterns of cultural adjustment differ for children and adolescents according to cultural background, gender, age, and length of stay in the host culture; (2) former-Yugoslavian migrants generally report greater identification and involvement with Australian cultural norms than Chinese migrant youth; and (3) the divergent variables social support and bicultural adjustment are not universally paired with acculturative stress, as previously indicated in other adult migrant and acculturation studies. These outcomes highlight the importance of addressing the emotional and psychological needs of young migrants from unique age-relevant cultural perspectives. Building on these outcomes, the aim of Study 2 was to propose an organisational structure for a number of single risk factors that have been linked to acculturative stress in young migrants. In recognising that divergent situational characteristics (e.g., school level, gender, residential duration in Australia, social support, and cultural predisposition) are selectively paired with internal processing characteristics (e.g., emotional stability, self-worth/acceptance, acculturation/identity, and future outlook), a top-down path model of acculturative stress for children and adolescents of Chinese and former-Yugoslavian backgrounds was proposed and tested. To determine goodness of model fit, path analysis was employed. Specific cross-cultural profiles, application for the proposed age and culture sensitive models, and research considerations are discussed.

The provision of school based psychological services in Victorian primary and secondary schools dates back to well before the Second World War. Since then, however, the activities that make up the role of school psychologists have changed substantially. School psychologists' roles have become more varied than the original psychometric focus and reflect a more systemic approach to the conceptualization of student problems. Within Australia, school psychologists can be found servicing single or multiple schools in the government, independent and Catholic school sectors, fulfilling a range of functions and dealing with a diversity of student issues. However, Australian academic research into the professional practice issues associated with the provision of school-based psychological services is rare. Therefore, this thesis sought to investigate a range of professional issues associated with the provision of school-based psychological services for Victorian school psychologists working in single and multiple schools in the government and non-government primary and secondary school sectors. In addition to surveying Victorian school psychologists, principals and teachers were also surveyed in order to ascertain their attitudes towards school-based psychological services. The sample consisted of 81 school psychologists, 21 principals and 86 teachers. The results revealed that school psychologists participate in a variety of activities, including a number of activities that reflect a systemic model of service delivery. They also deal with a broad range of student issues, some of which are quite serious in nature. However, the study also revealed a number of professional issues that were in need of improvement. Some of these included a lack of participation in regular supervision for school psychologists, school psychologists' dissatisfaction with some industrial and professional conditions associated with their role and differences in attitudes between psychologists, principals and teachers regarding the activities and responsibilities of school psychologists. Results from the study provide plausible evidence for the need to support school psychologists in the valuable work that they do within schools through improved industrial conditions, appropriate professional development, and regular supervision. Furthermore the results also reveal a need to educate and participate in dialogue with the educational community in order to increase understanding of school psychologists' roles and professional responsibilities.

This thesis explores policy and service delivery for adolescent and young adult or ‘transition age’ mental health service users aged 16-25 across different jurisdictions in the UK and Australia. The study explores the implications that policy formulation and implementation have for service delivery in these different contextual settings; and examines how young people (who are at a vulnerable stage developmentally in terms of mental health), have their access to services affected by the existing policy framework. A policy analysis was conducted along with qualitative interviews in six case sites (three in the UK and three in Australia). The thesis adopted a critical realist approach using a laminated cross-sectional interview strategy that was developed to include interviews with national policy makers; local policy makers and service managers; staff working within services; and the young people whom were accessing services as the recipients of policy. Findings from this thesis explore how young people use risk escalation as a way of managing delays to treatment and how practitioners identify particular difficulties for young people transitioning in services when they are due to ‘step up’ into more acute services, or ‘step down’ to a less intensive service. The thesis explores the implications and unintended consequences for young people of policy including processes of ‘cost-shunting’ and ‘resource envy’ at local and national levels. Finally, the thesis offers some learning for systems working to support 16-25 year olds through demonstrating the importance of the dual role of ‘curing’ and ‘caring’ in mental health services.

Background: Dissemination of evidence-based mental health clinical practice guidelines had not been studied in Australia prior to the National General Practice Guideline Implementation Program. This naturalistic research reports ten national interventions designed to disseminate the NHMRC 1997 Clinical Practice Guideline Depression in Young People for GPs (GDIYP-GP) through 123 Divisions of General Practice. The guideline covered depression and suicide in young people aged 13 to 20 years. Aim: To evaluate a 'coordinated link agent' and 'enhanced packaged approach' for disseminating a national guideline by engaging 20 Divisions in using 5 dissemination models and to measure Divisions' capacities in performing unfunded local dissemination to GPs. Method: An Implementation Kit was the main national intervention, housing the guidelines and 5 models: Education by the Division; Education by an external provider; 3) Clinical Audit; 4) Segmented Formats and 5) Appraisal. Five studies are reported: 1) an organisational census on guideline-related practices in all topics; 2) a Case Study Database of 3 consecutive interviews of 51 participating Divisions; 3) a Guideline Appraisal study of 9 cohorts of doctors; 4) a Clinical Audit study of 54 doctors involving 1200 patients; and 5) a 'Segmented Formats' documentary analysis of Division communications on GDIYP-GP. Results: Prior dissemination by most Divisions was administrative mail outs rather than planned programs. In all, 70 instead of the pilot 20 organisations participated (57% of the sector) using 10,000 guidelines: 45 participated by 7 weeks and 71 by 35 weeks and the majority used multiple active strategies showing fidelity to the Kit. Education by the Division, Segmented Formats and Appraisal were the most adopted models. GDIYP-GP was acceptable and relevant to the majority of Divisions and to 9 samples of doctors. Conclusion: Divisions are one appropriate system through which evidence-based mental health guidelines can be disseminated to general practitioners. Uptake can be rapid using a flexible enhanced package approach with link-agent support. 3-6 months is needed for organisations to begin effective interventions. Divisions reorient their approach with guidance toward evidence-based dissemination but Division and practice barriers

Under-utilisation of mental health services is widespread globally and within Australia, especially among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. Improving service access is a priority, as is the need to deliver culturally competent services to the CALD communities. Having migrated to Australia in waves for approximately 150 years from China and South East Asia for various social, political and economic reasons, the Chinese population in Sydney is now the fastest growing non-English speaking ethnic group. There is a need to better understand the impact of culture on the emotional experiences of these Chinese in Australia. How do Chinese make sense of their depressive episodes? To address this question, this study explored the ways participants reach out for medical and/or non-medical help. Lay concepts of illness underpin these decisions and were thus unveiled. Mixed-method research design provided the opportunity to bring together multiple vantage points of investigation: population mental health, transcultural psychiatry and medical anthropology. A study combining quantitative survey and qualitative focus groups was undertaken in metropolitan Sydney. Narratives on symptoms, explanatory models and help-seeking strategies were articulated by focus group informants. Surveys covered demographics, symptom-recognition, previous depressive experiences and professional help sought. Depression measurement tools were cross-culturally validated. Self-ratings of ethnic identities and the Suinn-Lew Self-Identity Acculturation Scale were used to quantify Chinese participants' acculturation level. This allowed comparisons between 'low-acculturated' Chinese', highly-acculturated' Chinese and Australians. Survey results showed comparable levels of symptom-recognition in all subgroups. Focus group discussions provided rich data on informants' help-seeking strategies. Highly acculturated Chinese closely resembled the Australians in many study variables, yet qualitative data suggested cultural gaps beyond language barriers in influencing service use. Participants believed that trustful relationships could work as the bridge to link services with those in need. The implications for Australia's mental health policy include recognising the importance of rapport-building and the existence of cultural gaps. The study indicated professionals can benefit from acquiring information about the mental health beliefs both of individual clients and the wider ethnic communities in which they belong, and respecting the cultural differences between helper and helped as the first step towards cultural competency.

The social phenomenon of stress and workplace burnout has spanned over five decades. Despite a plethora of literature that exists, there still remain problematic issues that neither scientific investigation or government legislation have been able to resolve. The literature examined throughout this research is extensive and does reflect this 50-year period. It demonstrates that studies into this phenomenon have attempted to define stress, identify causal factors of workplace stress, workplace burnout and environmental congruence; and discusses strategies (focused on both the individual and organizational levels) that have been implemented to effect beneficial outcomes for individuals affected by any one of these. As this thesis continues, the more recent literature gives a greater recognition to violence in the workplace and legislative enactments as preventative measures to reduce the heavy burden of costs, both physical and financial, to organizations. This extensive literature review indicates no answer to the problem has been identified to date and that this phenomenon remains, giving a clear indication that further scientific investigation is required to find a solution to what was described as the most serious health issue of the 20th century. Based on the literature examined this health issue has now gone well beyond the 20th century, giving relevance to the research study described in this thesis. The investigation is validated as vital and should be used as a basis for further research. This study undertook a collaborative social process, action research, empowering participants to identify and change stressful factors identified within their practice indicative to rural remote community mental health teams. A critical social theory arose out of the problems within the context of the research setting, based on the ideal that the significant issues for this group of individuals within this organization could be solved through the action research process. The group ‘existed’ within the issues indicative to this rural remote area, however these issues were outside their control. Through the implementation of the action research process courses of actions were undertaken that provided enlightenment in self-knowledge with dialogue heightening collective empowerment to effect change within their practice. The action research process, being a holistic process, facilitated this change in practice, developed and refined theory as it proceeded in a cyclic fashion within this local setting. It concerned actual not abstract practices in the social world in which these participants practice. This methodology facilitated examining the significant stressors identified by the Community Mental Health Support Team (CMHST) that caused distress, allowing them to implement changes in their practice. The forum provided an avenue that could reduce stressors significantly and prevent ongoing occupational stress that contributes to workplace burnout. It offered an opportunity to work with a group of participants in a nonhierarchical and non-exploitative manner and enabled members of this group to identify their roles as effective practitioners, empowering them to effect the changes they deemed as essential criteria to reduce the stress they were experiencing indicative to their remoteness. Critical reviewing throughout the data collection attempted to understand and redefine these significant issues. It aimed to acknowledge the way things were relative to how things could be improved from organizational, personal and wider community perspectives. Simple principles and guidelines of action research were followed potentiating acceptance as a rigorous research approach from a positivist perspective whilst retaining the attributes that characterise action research. There are solutions to the dilemma of the employee overcoming the debilitating effects of stress leading to workplace burnout. This includes the cooperation of managers, policy makers, academic researchers and government officials working collaboratively to reduce the impact of occupational stress. Through this collaborative process, changes can be effected to ensure the health of the nation improves and that relevant recognition is given to the fact that there is a significant threat to a healthy workforce. Examining the nursing profession from a social perspective provides alternatives to medicalising workplace injuries and illnesses.
Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Population Health and Clinical Practice, 2008

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Australian Catholic University, 2004.
Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliographical references (p. 345-375). Also available in an electronic format via the internet.

精神分裂症（簡稱精分）是一種常見且嚴重的精神疾病，它對患者及其家人的生活有著毀滅性的影響。在西方國家，研究者已經對精分患者子女的經歷研究了許多年，得出的結論在政府以及社會工作者幫助這些家庭時起到重要的參考作用。然而，在中國這個問題被忽視了，目前針對這個群體的、學術規範的研究還沒有在中國大陸展開。鑒於中西巨大的社會和文化差異，我們不可以照搬西方學者的研究成果。為了填補這方面的知識空缺，我們在上海展開了對精神分裂症患者子女經歷的質化研究。
本文的資料來自八個家庭的成員對於相關經驗的敘述。我們從三個層面來探究這些青少年的特殊經歷，包括他們對家長的經歷、他們從患病與健康家長處感受到的養育模式、以及他們所經歷的擴展家庭和社會的支持。
我們的研究發現包括：1）青少年對家長疾病的適應經歷了三個階段：漠然、焦慮、消極應對。2）患病家長大多對孩子溫暖有餘、管教不足。健康家長對孩子的管教很大程度上取決於家庭經濟情況。當經濟情況惡劣時他們往往忽視孩子的成長需求3）支援系統作用缺失。
基於以上發現，本文提煉出三個主題：在惡劣成長環境中掙扎、消極應對、缺乏支持。我們提倡為這些家庭提供社會服務。
Schizophrenia is a serious and common mental illness which has devastating effects on those affected by schizophrenia, as well as family members including their offspring. In western countries, the topic about the experience of offspring living with a parent diagnosed with schizophrenia has been studied for many years. The outcomes are useful references to the government and social workers in helping these families. However, this topic has been neglected in the Chinese context. A well-designed qualitative study has never been carried out in mainland China. The result from western researcher cannot be used in China due to the vast differences in society and culture. To fill in the gap, a qualitative research was carried out in Shanghai to study children’s experience of parental schizophrenia.
This paper is based on the narratives elicited from eight families, including the parents diagnosed with schizophrenia, the adolescent children, and sometimes other family members. We studied the experience of this special group of adolescents, which contains the experience of their parent’s mental illness, the parenting from both the parent diagnosed with schizophrenia and the healthy parent, as well as the support from extended family and the society.
Our findings include: 1) Adolescents’ attitude towards parental schizophrenia can be divided into three phases: indifference, anxiety, and finally passive coping. The help they can provide for their parents with schizophrenia is very limited in most cases. 2) The parenting they received from the parents with schizophrenia is generally perceived as with high level of warmth and low level of demandingness. The healthy parents may or may not provide enough discipline to the adolescents depending on the families’ economic status. They would fail to focus on the need of the growing children when the economic pressure is high. 3) The supportive network failed to provide enough help to the growing adolescents.
Three themes are proposed based on the findings, namely struggling in poor growing environment, passive coping, and helplessness. We advocate for the development of social work services for these families.
Detailed summary in vernacular field only.
Detailed summary in vernacular field only.
Detailed summary in vernacular field only.
Detailed summary in vernacular field only.
Du, Juan.
Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 264-302).
Abstracts also in Chinese; appendixes in Chinese.
Chapter Chapter 1 --- : Introduction --- p.1
Chapter 1.1 --- Rationale of the study --- p.1
Chapter 1.2 --- Research background --- p.3
Chapter 1.2.1 --- Schizophrenia in China --- p.5
Chapter 1.2.2 --- Social stigma and discourse on mental illness --- p.6
Chapter 1.2.3 --- Great challenges for a family with a member with schizophrenia --- p.9
Chapter 1.2.4 --- Limited mental health service available to these families --- p.11
Chapter 1.2.5 --- Cultural influences in Chinese society --- p.14
Chapter 1.3 --- Research objectives and research questions --- p.18
Chapter 1.3.1 --- Research questions --- p.18
Chapter 1.3.2 --- Research objectives --- p.19
Chapter 1.4 --- Significance of the research --- p.20
Chapter Chapter 2 --- : Literature Review --- p.21
Chapter 2.1 --- Schizophrenia --- p.21
Chapter 2.1.1 --- Different perspectives on schizophrenia --- p.21
Chapter 2.1.2 --- Treatment and Recovery of schizophrenia --- p.33
Chapter 2.1.3 --- Schizophrenia’s influence on social functioning --- p.37
Chapter 2.1.4 --- Schizophrenia’s influence on parenting --- p.39
Chapter 2.2 --- Developing adolescents --- p.46
Chapter 2.2.1 --- Different perspectives on adolescents --- p.47
Chapter 2.2.2 --- Offspring with parental psychiatric disorder --- p.53
Chapter 2.2.3 --- Supportive network of adolescents --- p.60
Chapter 2.3 --- The roles of social work in mental health facilities --- p.61
Chapter 2.3.1 --- Condition of mental health social work in Shanghai --- p.62
Chapter 2.3.2 --- The roles of social workers in other areas --- p.63
Chapter 2.3.3 --- Social workers serving families with parental schizophrenia --- p.69
Chapter 2.4 --- Knowledge gap in existed literature --- p.70
Chapter Chapter 3 --- : Research Methodology --- p.72
Chapter 3.1 --- Paradigmatic Considerations --- p.72
Chapter 3.1.1 --- Social constructionism --- p.74
Chapter 3.1.2 --- Proposed Theoretical Framework --- p.77
Chapter 3.2 --- Research Design --- p.79
Chapter 3.2.1 --- Research Site --- p.80
Chapter 3.2.2 --- Sampling --- p.81
Chapter 3.2.3 --- Data collection --- p.86
Chapter 3.2.4 --- Data analysis --- p.89
Chapter 3.2.5 --- Ethical issues and trustworthiness --- p.91
Chapter 3.3 --- Strengths and Limitations of this Study --- p.96
Chapter Chapter 4 --- : Background Information of the Research Participants --- p.98
Chapter 4.1 --- General Information --- p.98
Chapter 4.1.1 --- Personal information of adolescents --- p.99
Chapter 4.1.2 --- Personal Information of parent diagnosed with schizophrenia --- p.101
Chapter 4.1.3 --- Background Information of participant families --- p.105
Chapter 4.2 --- Family stories --- p.111
Chapter 4.3 --- Conditions of the parent with schizophrenia --- p.126
Chapter 4.3.1 --- Competent youths in the past --- p.126
Chapter 4.3.2 --- Experience of schizophrenia --- p.127
Chapter 4.3.3 --- Self-blaming for offspring’s current situation --- p.139
Chapter 4.4 --- The adolescents --- p.141
Chapter 4.4.1 --- School Achievement --- p.141
Chapter 4.4.2 --- Peers --- p.146
Chapter 4.5 --- Summary --- p.150
Chapter Chapter 5 --- : Experience of parental schizophrenia --- p.152
Chapter 5.1 --- Discovery of parental schizophrenia --- p.152
Chapter 5.2 --- Experience relevant to parental schizophrenia --- p.155
Chapter 5.2.1 --- Symptoms --- p.155
Chapter 5.2.2 --- Deterioration of parent’s daily functioning --- p.157
Chapter 5.2.3 --- Parents’ hospitalization --- p.161
Chapter 5.2.4 --- Social stigma attached to schizophrenia --- p.166
Chapter 5.2.5 --- Parent’s concealment of schizophrenia --- p.168
Chapter 5.3 --- Knowledge of schizophrenia --- p.170
Chapter 5.4 --- Reaction after knowing parental schizophrenia --- p.174
Chapter 5.4.1 --- Indifference --- p.174
Chapter 5.4.2 --- Concern and curiosity --- p.175
Chapter 5.4.3 --- Passive attitude --- p.179
Chapter 5.5 --- Coping with parental schizophrenia --- p.182
Chapter 5.5.1 --- Support and help from the children to the parents with schizophrenia --- p.182
Chapter 5.5.2 --- Selective concealment of parental schizophrenia --- p.185
Chapter Chapter 6 --- : Experience of parenting from the parent with schizophrenia --- p.189
Chapter 6.1 --- Less parental demandingness from the parent with schizophrenia --- p.189
Chapter 6.1.1 --- Less discipline --- p.190
Chapter 6.1.2 --- Low pressure on study --- p.191
Chapter 6.1.3 --- Low expectation for future career --- p.192
Chapter 6.2 --- More parental warmth from the parent with schizophrenia --- p.195
Chapter Chapter 7 --- : Supporting Network --- p.197
Chapter 7.1 --- Interaction between adolescent children with healthy parents --- p.197
Chapter 7.1.1 --- The condition of the healthy parents --- p.198
Chapter 7.1.2 --- The parenting style of the healthy parents --- p.203
Chapter 7.2 --- Support from extended family --- p.207
Chapter 7.3 --- Support from the society --- p.214
Chapter 7.3.1 --- Teaching VS. Support --- p.214
Chapter 7.3.2 --- Little support from school --- p.216
Chapter Chapter 8 --- : Discussion --- p.219
Chapter 8.1 --- Parenting style of both parents --- p.219
Chapter 8.1.1 --- Indulgent parenting of the parent diagnosed with schizophrenia --- p.219
Chapter 8.1.2 --- The parenting style of the healthy parent --- p.222
Chapter 8.1.3 --- The influence of the parenting on the developing children --- p.225
Chapter 8.2 --- Three stages after knowing parental schizophrenia --- p.227
Chapter 8.3 --- Themes --- p.233
Chapter 8.3.1 --- Struggle in poor family environment --- p.233
Chapter 8.3.2 --- Passive coping --- p.239
Chapter 8.3.3 --- Helplessness --- p.241
Chapter 8.4 --- Reflection on theoretical framework --- p.244
Chapter 8.5 --- Implications for practice --- p.247
Chapter 8.6 --- Implications for theory and research --- p.255
Chapter 8.6.1 --- Similarities and differences compared with literature --- p.255
Chapter 8.6.2 --- Directions for future research --- p.257
List of tables and figures
Chapter Table 1 Length of interviews --- p.89
Chapter Table 2 Condition of adolescents --- p.99
Chapter Table 3 Personal information of the parents with schizophrenia --- p.101
Chapter Table 4 Symptoms and hospitalization --- p.102
Chapter Table 5 Medication --- p.104
Chapter Table 6 General family background --- p.105
Chapter Table 7 Family social economic status --- p.108
Chapter Table 8 Possible interventions --- p.250
Chapter Figure 1 Proposed theoretical framework --- p.77
Chapter Figure 2 Revised theoretical framework --- p.245
Chapter Appendices --- p.259
Chapter Appendix 1: Interview Guide (Chinese version) --- p.259
Chapter Appendix 2: Consent form (Chinese version) --- p.262
Bibliography --- p.264