Exploring the culturally specific factors of mental health in South Asian minority students in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT

Ethnic minority mental health in Hong Kong is understudied. This study assessed the mental well-being of minority youth in Hong Kong and explored culturally relevant factors that may promote or adversely affect this well-being. Four focus groups (including Pakistani and Indian students) were involved in this pilot qualitative study. Thematic analysis generated five main themes, related to: positive mental health outcomes for students: (1) peer and family support; (2) adolescents’ recreational activities; (3) adolescents’ sense of humour; (4) strong religious beliefs and (5) local Chinese community support. Adolescents’ adverse life experiences emerged as a significant theme in the assessment of risk factors in relation to the mental health of the students involved in the study. Two unique findings should serve to guide future research on culturally specific factors that promote positive mental health among Indian and Pakistani minority ethnic groups. First, religion and sense of humour were seen to be important to young male individuals. Second, research suggests that support from local Chinese is a significant factor in the promotion of positive mental health. The findings of the study offer insights to guide further larger scale quantitative research, and innovative and empirical driven social work practice.

摘要

香港缺乏有關少數族裔精神健康問題的研究。本研究評估香港少數族裔的精神健康狀況，並探討促進或影響個人精神健康的文化相關因素。這是一個初探性的質性研究，共進行了四次聚焦小組，對象包括巴基斯坦及印度裔的學生。主題分析後得出學生擁有良好精神健康的五個要點：（1）同儕及家庭的支持；（2）青少年在文娛活動方面的參與；（3）青少年的幽默感；（4）堅定的宗教信仰；及（5）地區華人社群的支持。受訪學生的負面生活經驗則是評估其會否出現精神健康問題風險的重要因素。研究顯示兩個比較獨特的結果，有助我們進一步探討如何促進印度及巴基斯坦等少數族裔的精神健康。首先，對年青的男性受訪者而言，宗教及幽默感發揮了重要的作用。此外，研究亦指出，地區華人社群的支持，能有效地協助他們建立良好的精神健康。研究結果有助我們進行較大型的量化研究，並推行創新及以實證為本的社會工作實務。

KEYWORDS:

• Mental health
• ethnic minority youth
• protective factors
• risk factors

關鍵詞:

• 精神健康
• 少數族裔青年
• 保護因素
• 高危因素

Acknowledgements

This manuscript is based on a part of Gizem Arat's unpublished PhD thesis ‘Culturally specific resilience processes of health risk behaviours among Pakistani and Indian youth in the Hong Kong context: a mixed-methods study’, The University of Hong Kong.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. The writing of this manuscript was partially supported by the University of Hong Kong Research Postgraduate studentship and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

Notes on contributors

Gizem Arat

Gizem Arat is a Post-doctoral fellow in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong. Her research consists of the promotion of social inclusion of ethnic minority youth in Hong Kong. She is interested in the evidence-based social integration of diverse minority populations along with the development of theoretical framework for the promotion of socially inclusive social policies in East Asia. Her recent research projects focus on the investigation of internalisation of higher education institutions and the articulation of positive youth development among ethnic minorities.

Lucy P. Jordan

Lucy Porter Jordan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong and social worker. She is also a Senior Research Associate at the Center for Social Development of Africa, Faculty of Humanities, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Her research focuses on how societal transformation impacts on intimate family life and wellbeing. Her primary field of research is migration studies. Within the field of migration studies, her most significant research explores and analyses the long-term impact of parental migration on the health and well-being of families and children who remain in countries of origin, more specifically within the Southeast Asian Region.

Paul W. C. Wong

Paul Wai Ching Wong is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong. He has been involving in suicide prevention research and mental health promotion and practice in Hong Kong since 2003. His recent research projects include social withdrawal behaviour (a.k.a. hikikomori), using animals as part of psychological and educational interventions, youth positive development interventions for local and ethnic minority young people in Hong Kong, and helping caregivers of children with autism.