title: Family burdens, Chinese health beliefs, and the mental health of Chinese caregivers in Hong Kong.
abstract: This study explored the types of family burdens, mental health and Chinese health beliefs of Chinese caregivers with relatives suffering from a serious mental illness. It also examined the impacts of these beliefs on caregivers' burdens and mental health. A structured questionnaire was administered to 125 Chinese caregivers in out-patient clinics in Hong Kong. Measures included distress (General Health Questionnaire), family burdens and belief in traditional Chinese medicine. Family burdens exerted a significant impact on the mental health of caregivers. Significant differences were found between believers and non-believers of traditional Chinese medical beliefs in terms of financial burdens, disruptions to family interactions and decline in physical health. No [corrected] moderating effect of Chinese health beliefs on family burdens and mental health was found. The lack of a moderating effect of health belief on family burdens may be related to caregivers' changes in perspectives from a traditional Chinese cultural perspective to a psychosocial and personality perspective. Implications for research and service development are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong. dfkwong@hkucc.hku.hk
authors.forename: Daniel Fu Keung
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Helen Kam Pui
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Tsui
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.forename: Eric Yu Hai
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Siu Ning
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Chiu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003625:Data Collection; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged