This study explored patterns of help-seeking behaviour of the Chinese women who immigrated within the past seven years from Hong Kong. Twelve women immigrants volunteered to participate in the study and were interviewed in Cantonese. Interviews were transcribed and analysed for emerging themes.; Several major sources of mental stress were identified, including: coping with loss and loneliness, dealing with financial constraints, helping with children's adjustment concerns, searching for jobs, handling prejudice and discrimination, struggling with cultural and language differences, and negotiating necessary transportation. The results showed that these new immigrant women considered consulting a counsellor only when they were in acute crisis or their problems were getting out of hand, especially if their children had difficulties. Seeing from the Western perspective, this help-seeking behaviour is problematical because it is crisis management. However, when we consider these same patterns from the Chinese cultural viewpoint, we can see a guideline for assisting traditional Chinese to handle challenges. These participants were unable to handle these challenges due to the following barriers. These included: lack of knowledge and information on the Western concept of mental health, lack of knowledge of English, cultural differences, user fees, and accessibility of services. The findings also strongly indicated that these participants preferred empathic counsellors who could speak their language and were informed about their culture. These barriers occurred in Toronto also due to the lack of resourceful community leaders with whom to consult and make appropriate referral to available resources. Participants found it extremely hard to trust a total stranger and preferred to have personal references about a counsellor before approaching him or her.; These results may have varied implications for the delivery of counselling services to immigrant women: education about mental health, mental stress and healthy coping strategies; information about available mental health services and their functions; communication in immigrants' native language; ethno-specific counselling services; funding under the universal health insurance plan, or through income-geared fees.
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