Shifa Community Engagement Project Report - Surrey and Borders ...

4. DISCUSSION
.
The group interviewed 85 respondents and the results were analysed in the following
order.
Chinese community
22 Chinese community members were interviewed to collect information and views on MH
issues. All of the respondents were over the age of 50 and comprised of 26% of the whole
research sample, there were 4 men and 18 women who participated and all of them were
born outside of the UK. However, 18 of these respondents have been living in UK for more
than 11 years, 3 have been here for 6-19 years and only 1 has been here for 1-5 years. 16
of them are British citizens and 2 with indefinite leave to remain in UK while there were also
a Chinese, American and an Australian citizen. Most of the Chinese community members
spoke Cantonese as their first language but Mandarin was common too, while almost all of
them had Chinese as their first written language. Majority of the Chinese community was
also fluent in English both for spoken and written purposes. 12 respondents had no religion,
while 6 were Christians, 3 were Buddhist and 1 respondent was Muslim. All of the
respondents were heterosexual with majority having no disability and 2 members had some
form of physical disability.
Knowledge and awareness of Mental Health
Understanding of mental health
7 respondents thought that mental health is when mental and physical health is in balance.
Whereas 4 said that when someone is unhappy or depressed or is suffering. 3 thought that
mental health is when mental and physical health is unbalance. 3 more said that mental
health is the psychological, emotional and mental condition. 2 regarded mental health as
state of mentality and further 2 associated mental health with a mad person. 2 more felt
that it’s related with drugs and alcohol and additional two said that when someone is
abnormal in their thinking, mind and emotions. 2 more thought that mental health is related
to stress and isolation and additional 2 said that it’s related to family and environmental
circumstances. 10 people gave varied views on mental health there responses were,
someone is born with it, ability to function and cope normally, when people don’t do bad
things and don’t interfere with others, ability to distinguish between right and wrong, ability
to interact and think for themselves, appears normal but actually dangerous, post illness
but curable and finally when someone has knowledge of mental health problem.
Here are comments from some of the research participants on the issues of mental health:
“Individual may feel the shame and stigma and so is reluctant to talk about the mental health
issues”.
“Lack of understanding about mental health from others. Fear of being labelled, judged and
stigmatised”.
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