Beliefs about causes, symptoms, and stigma associated with severe mental illness among 'highly acculturated' Chinese-American patients

摘要

Background: Literature about experiences of mental illness among ethnic minority has tended to focus on firstgeneration migrants. This study fills that gap by exploring experiences among highly acculturated Chinese-American patients with mental illness. Materials: Twenty-nine participants completed semi-structured interviews based on Kleinman's explanatory model, which were audio-taped, transcribed and coded for qualitative analysis. Discussion: Beliefs about the causes of mental illness included biological factors, head trauma and personal losses. Issues relating to stigma and shame were also discussed. Conclusion: Highly acculturated ethnic minority patients may ascribe to a biomedical model at the same time as ascribing to culture-specific beliefs.