Perception of mental illness: preliminary exploratory research at a cross-cultural outpatient psychiatric clinic.
This descriptive study presented an overview of culturally sensitive mental health services and potential barriers for immigrant Canadians. A semi-structured questionnaire was developed and administered to 173 patients who attended a large cross-cultural psychiatry outpatient clinic in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.


RESULTS
indicated that only 21% of patients were able to state their diagnosis or were able to describe the symptoms of their diagnosis that met the DSM-IV criteria given by a psychiatrist. Examination of patient ethnicity showed that more South Asian (25%) or Southeast Asian (24%) patients had more diagnoses of anxiety disorder in comparison to other ethnic groups. Refugees characterized mental illness in terms of stress or stress-related factors (30%) in comparison to non-refugees (13%). There was a greater preference in women, when compared to men, to prefer the term 'client' versus 'patient'. These results elucidate the importance of cultural and systemic barriers for immigrant Canadians. The need for appropriate service delivery is discussed.
Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Department of Psychiatry, Vancouver General Hospital and University of British Columbia Hospital, Vancouver BC, Canada. soma.ganesan@vch.ca
Soma
S
Ganesan
Hiram
H
Mok
Mario
M
McKenna
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001955:British Columbia; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012649:Self Concept; D009626:Terminology as Topic