Presentation Information
[O-15-05]Help-Seeking Experiences of Chinese Immigrant Families for Their Children's Mental Health Issues in Canada
*Florence Kwai Ching Wong (Factor Inwentash School Of Social Work, University of Toronto (Canada))
Keywords:
help-seeking,mental health,stigma,cultural fusion,immigrant families
Objectives: Chinese immigrant families in Canada encounter unique cultural and systemic challenges when addressing their children’s mental health (MH) needs. Cultural beliefs, stigma, family dynamics, and limited access to services contribute to delays in seeking help or underutilization of MH services. This study explores how these intersecting factors shape Chinese immigrant parents’ experiences in recognizing, responding to, and navigating care for their children’s MH issues.
Methods: A qualitative design was employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews with 15 Chinese immigrant parents living in Canada for at least six months. All participants were parents of children aged 15 or younger experiencing MH challenges. Interviews were conducted in Cantonese, Mandarin, or English to ensure cultural and linguistic inclusivity. Data were analyzed using Clarke and Braun’s reflexive thematic analysis, guided by an integrated framework combining help-seeking models, Cultural Fusion Theory, the McMaster Model of Family Functioning, and Stigma Theory.
Results: The dynamic interplay of cultural stigma, traditional beliefs, family dynamics, systemic barriers, and personal adaptation stressors shaped the help-seeking journeys of Chinese immigrant families. Mental health was often viewed as taboo or shameful, with older generations downplaying or dismissing diagnoses, which delayed early recognition and intervention. Mothers commonly took on primary advocacy roles, while fathers and grandparents initially resisted engagement, illustrating intergenerational and gendered tensions. Systemic barriers—including high costs, long wait times, fragmented provincial services, language gaps, and a lack of culturally competent providers—obstructed access to care. Furthermore, acculturation stress, financial pressures, employment demands, and the broader challenges of resettlement further limited parents’ capacity to seek timely and consistent support. The ongoing help-seeking process placed significant emotional strain on parents, contributing to chronic stress, guilt, and self-doubt, as many sacrificed their own well-being to prioritize caregiving, creating a compounding cycle of emotional vulnerability.
Conclusion/Implications: Findings underscore the need for culturally responsive, family-centered, and systemically integrated MH services that address both the clinical and socio-cultural complexities faced by immigrant families in multicultural contexts.
Methods: A qualitative design was employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews with 15 Chinese immigrant parents living in Canada for at least six months. All participants were parents of children aged 15 or younger experiencing MH challenges. Interviews were conducted in Cantonese, Mandarin, or English to ensure cultural and linguistic inclusivity. Data were analyzed using Clarke and Braun’s reflexive thematic analysis, guided by an integrated framework combining help-seeking models, Cultural Fusion Theory, the McMaster Model of Family Functioning, and Stigma Theory.
Results: The dynamic interplay of cultural stigma, traditional beliefs, family dynamics, systemic barriers, and personal adaptation stressors shaped the help-seeking journeys of Chinese immigrant families. Mental health was often viewed as taboo or shameful, with older generations downplaying or dismissing diagnoses, which delayed early recognition and intervention. Mothers commonly took on primary advocacy roles, while fathers and grandparents initially resisted engagement, illustrating intergenerational and gendered tensions. Systemic barriers—including high costs, long wait times, fragmented provincial services, language gaps, and a lack of culturally competent providers—obstructed access to care. Furthermore, acculturation stress, financial pressures, employment demands, and the broader challenges of resettlement further limited parents’ capacity to seek timely and consistent support. The ongoing help-seeking process placed significant emotional strain on parents, contributing to chronic stress, guilt, and self-doubt, as many sacrificed their own well-being to prioritize caregiving, creating a compounding cycle of emotional vulnerability.
Conclusion/Implications: Findings underscore the need for culturally responsive, family-centered, and systemically integrated MH services that address both the clinical and socio-cultural complexities faced by immigrant families in multicultural contexts.