Australasian Journal on Ageing
Volume 35, Issue 4, 2016, Pages 249-254

‘Depression is not an illness. It's up to you to make yourself happy’: Perceptions of Chinese health professionals and community workers about older Chinese immigrants’ experiences of depression and anxiety (Article)

Haralambous B.* , Dow B. , Goh A. , Pachana N.A. , Bryant C. , LoGiudice D. , Lin X.
  • a Health Promotion Division, National Ageing Research Institute Ltd, Parkville, VIC, Australia
  • b Health Promotion Division, National Ageing Research Institute Ltd, Parkville, VIC, Australia
  • c Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, The University of Melbourne, Kew, VIC, Australia
  • d School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  • e Centre for Women's Mental Health, The Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia
  • f Royal Park Campus, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia
  • g Health Promotion Division, National Ageing Research Institute Ltd, Parkville, VIC, Australia

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to improve our understanding of depression and anxiety among older immigrant Chinese Australians. Methods: The study was based on the National Ageing Research Institute's Cultural Exchange Model, an iterative process of exchange between researchers and stakeholders. The project involved a range of components including consultations with health professionals and community workers about perceptions of depression and anxiety within the Chinese community. This paper reports on these consultation findings. Results: Thematic analysis generated five main categories to explain participants’ perceptions of depression and anxiety within the Chinese community. Themes included: lack of knowledge; personal weakness rather than illness; stigma; somatisation; and experience of migration in later life. Responses to questions about education and information dissemination were collated separately and reported. Conclusion: Views of depression and anxiety among older Chinese people suggest that educating the community may be an important way to improve mental health literacy and help-seeking behaviour. © 2016 AJA Inc.

Author Keywords

Anxiety older Chinese immigrant Depression

Index Keywords

anxiety information processing Community Health Workers perception Health Personnel consumer health information depression China information dissemination Australia health care personnel Stereotyping human epidemiology Asian continental ancestry group health auxiliary ethnology Patient Education as Topic health personnel attitude interview Attitude of Health Personnel Humans migrant psychology Interviews as Topic Emigrants and Immigrants cultural factor Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice patient education age Prejudice Age Factors Cultural Characteristics Somatoform Disorders attitude to health somatoform disorder Focus Groups
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84960538932&doi=10.1111%2fajag.12306&partnerID=40&md5=d7ba323e3600b3378db2cc378d11a137
DOI: 10.1111/ajag.12306
ISSN: 14406381
Cited by: 6
Original Language: English