Chinese Migrant Mothers' Access to Mental Health Care in the Netherlands: Motherhood Experience and Health Care Policy

The rapid increase in the numbers of Chinese living in the Netherlands during the first decade of the present century led researchers and policy-makers to start paying attention to this group. Slowly, more studies concerning issues such as aging and health are being carried out. Although the Netherlands has a strong tradition of research on migrants and health of ethnic minorities, the Chinese group has been neglected and yet very little is known about their mental health status and their relationship with the Dutch health system. Studies indicate clearly that mental health care for ethnic Chinese is needed and the service delivery to the group is far from optimal. There is evidence that many ethnic minority groups are often dissatisfied with the host country’s healthcare system and this affect their quality of healthcare they perceived. A recent study shows these psychological theories and therapeutic techniques often do not necessarily fit the ways most Chinese people conceive of therapeutic relationships and efficacy in healing. Migration is regularly described as an extremely stressful process of adjustment that has significant impact on emotional health. And the prevalence of postnatal depressive symptomatology among migrant women is almost twice as high as those in native-born. This study will start to understand the pregnancy and motherhood experience among Chinese migrant mothers at the beginning. With the ethnographic point of view to observe enormous changes among women, we identify the determinants of postpartum depression among migrant women, their ability to access to Dutch mental health resources, barriers to access. It is essential to understand what help the Chinese migrant mothers are seeking, whether it matches their expectations, whether it perceived as adequate help if there is a mismatch between mothers and mental health providers. The study also emphasis the factors with are important in equipping mental health professional to better meet the needs of migrants and ethnic minorities. Meanwhile we are interested in getting more knowledge on how Chinese migrant patterns affect the health care policy in the Netherlands.