Variations in problem conceptualizations and intended solutions among Hong Kong students

Abstract

Cognitive schema were used to explain health and illness behaviors among Chinese students. University students in Hong Kong were asked to attribute causes and suggest solutions to five health/mental health problems: Weakness/Fatigue, Tension/Anxiety, Sleep Difficulty, Hollow/Emptiness, and Headache. The patterns of endorsement on the causal and solution categories used for the five problems were compared using a new asymptotic chi-squared test. The response patterns were found to be significantly different across the five problems. Each problem was attributed to multiple causes including psychological, social, situational, somatic, and existential factors. The intended solutions were often related to the nature of the causal attributions especially when the problems were mild. In lay help-seeking, the Hong Kong students would attempt a variety of self-help measures. However, for professional consultation, the medical doctor would be the primary care professional the students would turn to for most of the problems except in the case of Hollow/Emptiness.

Culture, control, and coping: New perspectives on social support

“…For instance, Wu (1982) suggested that the dilution of stress for Chinese is associated with the ability to "correct the mind and train the temperament" (p. 297). A study employing Hong Kong university students demonstrated that in situations of mild distress, the most prevalent strategies of active coping involved analyzing the problem, resetting goals, and working harder (Cheung, Lee, &Chan, 1983). Psychological endurance (i.e., telling oneself to be calm, to accept or forget the problem, and to control one's thoughts) was also a frequent coping strategy.…”

Symptomatology of minor psychiatric morbidity: a crosscultural comparison

“…Following this view, cultural influence on these specific illness behaviours might become less as development progresses (German, 1972). Such a change has been observed among the more educated Chinese in the United States, Hong Kong (Cheung et al 1983), Taiwan (Rin, 1982), and China (Kleinman & Kleinman, 1985).…”

Cultural factors in the clinical assessment of Asian Americans.

“…Delays in seeking treatment have also been reported in psychiatric cases in Hong Kong, where patients reported first turning to friends and family members for prolonged intervention. Only the most severely disturbed patients sought psychiatric care, although nearly 20% did not seek help for a year or more after the onset of the problem (Cheung, Lee, & Chan, 1984). An individual's or family's view of mental illness is also likely to influence whether or not psychotherapy will be sought.…”