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Mental Illness--Chinese Style Social stigma towards mental illness exists in every society, including Canada and the United States of America. Yet the extent of such stigma varies according to the cultural and sociological backgrounds of each society. The purpose of this article is an attempt to examine the specific factors which lead to the social stigma towards mental illness in the Chinese community at large. Culturally, most Chinese tend to hide their feelings in comparison to their western counterparts. Indeed, there is a famous Chinese saying which said that "family shame should be kept inside the house." The loss of face is important to many Chinese. It is a social phenomenon that mental illness is a shame. This ill-conceived notion has to do with their ignorance of "mental illness." According to Lin Chiu, a veteran pharmacist at the Castle Peak Mental Asylum in Hong Kong, "Many Chinese have a very vague idea as to what mental illness is. To a lot of them, they tend to relate mental illness to violence, with little knowledge that there are various degrees and types of mental illness." Dr. Ted Lo, a Chinese-speaking psychiatrist in Toronto and the founder of the HONG FOOK MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION in Toronto, echoes with Chiu's opinion. He emphasizes that there is a lack of education among the Chinese towards mental illness and most tend not to admit that they are afflicted with the illness.
Approximate Word count = 840
Approximate Pages = 3.4
(250 words per page double spaced)
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