Parenting experiences of Chinese mothers living with a mental illness

Background Although the experiences of mothers with mental illness are well researched in Western countries, little is known about the experiences of Chinese mothers. This study aims to explore the experiences of family life and parenting of Chinese mothers, in the context of their mental illness. Methods Fourteen Chinese mothers with mental illness undertook in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employed to guide the data analysis. Results Seven themes were identified: motherhood as a central identity, the stigma associated with being a mother with mental illness, participants’ perceptions about the impact of mental illness on parenting and their children, experiences of talking to children about mental illness, how having children impacts mothers’ illness and recovery, and support obtained and needed. Similar to Western mothers, Chinese mothers experienced stigma and fluctuating mental illness symptoms which impacted on parenting. Unlike mothers based in Western countries, the mothers interviewed in this study highlighted complicated co-caring relationships with parents-in-law and did not raise child custody concerns. Conclusions Mental health professionals need to have the skills to identify and recognize the mothering role of their clients. Culturally sensitive interventions are required to assist Chinese families where mothers have a mental illness. Future research is required to investigate family experiences of parental mental illness from the perspectives of children, partners, and mental health professionals.

The Pregnancy Experiences and Antenatal Care Services of Chinese Migrants in Switzerland: A Qualitative Study

Background: Differences in reproductive health outcomes according to the mother's origins have been reported in Switzerland, for example, women from European countries and non-European countries. The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health has therefore called for specific Swiss-wide studies on migrant populations. This study explores the pregnancy and antenatal care experiences of Chinese migrants in Switzerland, intending to clarify their maternity care needs.Methods: In-depth interviews of 14 Chinese mothers and 13 family members were conducted in Chinese or English and audio recorded. All audio-recordingswere transcribed verbatim. All Chinese transcripts were translated into English.Thematic analysis was performed with the assistance of the qualitative dataanalysis software, MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2020.Results: Five themes were extracted from the transcripts: (1) Motivations andconcerns about having children, (2) The merits of the Swiss maternity caresystem, (3) The inconvenience and barriers of accessing Swiss maternity careservices, (4) Strategies to deal with the inconveniences of the Swiss maternitycare system, and (5) The need for culturally sensitive care.Conclusions: The results of our study provide new knowledge and understandingof pregnancy experiences and antenatal care services of Chinese mothers andtheir families in Switzerland. Their unique positive experiences included: familyplanning, the continuity of maternity services, humane care with the privacyrespected, personalized sensitive care needs, preferences for female obstetriciansand obstetricians of Asian origin. Several barriers were highlighted, suchasinformation seeking difficulties, communication difficulties, and a rigidappointment system. Reducing barriers enabling access to maternity care serviceswithin the Swiss healthcare system is necessary to provide equal qualitymaternitycare for individuals, irrespective of their origins.