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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 2/2014

01-02-2014 | Original Paper

Resilience and depressive symptoms in mainland Chinese immigrants to Hong Kong

Authors: Xiaonan Yu, Sunita M. Stewart, Iris K. F. Liu, Tai Hing Lam

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 2/2014

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Abstract

Purpose

Immigrants are highly vulnerable to the development of psychological problems such as depressive symptoms, which calls for further study of immigration in the Eastern context. Identification of factors that protect against depressive symptoms would inform interventions to enhance immigrant adaptation.

Methods

This survey recruited 1,205 individuals who are adult immigrants from mainland China to Hong Kong. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to screen them for depressive symptoms. Participants also completed assessments for acculturative stress, discrimination and rejection, and personal and family resilience.

Results

The results showed that participants reported considerable depressive symptoms. After controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, acculturative stress, and discrimination and rejection, personal resilience was associated with fewer depressive symptoms. Family resilience added significant explanation of variance to predict depressive symptoms over and above the individual variables, including personal resilience.

Conclusions

Our findings draw attention to the role of resilience as a protective factor against mental distress when facing adversities, while highlighting the central importance of family as an emotional resource for immigrant adjustment in the Chinese context. As personal resilience can increase with interventions, our results can inform trials to enhance adaptation among mainland Chinese immigrants in Hong Kong.
Footnotes
1
Census statistics currently available through 2009, obtained from the Census and Statistics Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, http://​www.​censtatd.​gov.​hk.
 
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Metadata
Title
Resilience and depressive symptoms in mainland Chinese immigrants to Hong Kong
Authors
Xiaonan Yu
Sunita M. Stewart
Iris K. F. Liu
Tai Hing Lam
Publication date
01-02-2014
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 2/2014
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-013-0733-8

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