Associations between demographic factors and psychological distress among Chinese residents in Hong Kong: beyond socioeconomic classes.

Most studies highlighted the association between psychological distress and socioeconomic status (SES). There were weaker explanations for distress found in the middle classes, especially in Asian countries. We conducted a questionnaire survey with 1626 adult Chinese primary-care attenders from 13 private and 6 public clinics in different districts of Hong Kong.

Views of Hong Kong Chinese primary care attenders on psychological distress: causes, management and recovery.

Background: Most of the previous studies of help seeking for psychological distress were conducted in Western countries. Chinese studies have had a stronger emphasis on psychosis.

Objective: This study aims to understand how Hong Kong Chinese primary care attenders see psychological distress, including its causes, management approaches and recovery, and whether their views are different from Western views.

Do patients with and without a regular primary care physician have their psychological distress looked after differently?

Background: While qualitative studies suggested that continuity of care by primary care physicians (PCPs) facilitated consultations for psychological problems, there was limited quantitative evidence. This survey compared management of psychological distress between patients with and without a regular PCP.

Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted with 1626 adult primary care attenders from 13 private and 6 public clinics in Hong Kong.

Enablers to seeking professional help for psychological distress-a study on Chinese primary care attenders.

This study investigated enablers to seeking professional help for psychological distress among Chinese primary care attenders in Hong Kong. Nine focus groups and six individual interviews were conducted among adult patients with/without known distress, significant others of the distressed, and the general public. The identified potential enablers were further investigated in a questionnaire survey with data from 1626 patients.

Help-seeking behaviours for psychological distress amongst Chinese patients.

Background: The stepped care model for psychological distress has been promoted in recent years, leading to the enhancing roles of primary care professionals and alternative sources of help. However, most of the research findings come from Western countries. This study investigates help-seeking behaviours of Chinese patients among different types of professional and alternative sources for psychological distress in Hong Kong.

Barriers of Chinese primary care attenders to seeking help for psychological distress in Hong Kong.

Background: Most of the previous studies on help seeking for psychological distress were derived from Western countries. This study investigated the barriers to help-seeking for psychological distress among Chinese primary care attenders in Hong Kong.

Methods: Nine focus groups and 6 individual interviews were conducted among Chinese primary care attenders with/without known distress, patients' significant others and the general public.

Does Postgraduate Training in Community Mental Health Make a Difference to Primary Care Physicians' Attitudes to Depression and Schizophrenia?

This study investigated the differences in attitudes towards mental health patients between primary care physicians (PCPs) who have received postgraduate training in community mental health and those who have not. A questionnaire regarding the PCPs' attitudes towards mental health care in general, and specifically on depression and schizophrenia, was designed to compare the attitudes between the PCPs with postgraduate training in community mental health (CMH group) and those without (non-CMH group). Besides having greater confidence in management, PCPs in the CMH group had less stigmatizing opinions towards the mental health patients than those in the non-CMH group.

Attitudes of primary care physicians towards patients with mental illness in Hong Kong.

Introduction: This study aims to describe the attitudes of primary care physicians towards mental health patients in Hong Kong, especially to examine the doctors' views on schizophrenia and depression, and the influence of their demographic variables.

Methods: A questionnaire developed by the research team was sent to members of Hong Kong College of Family Physicians. Potential respondents were allocated on equal basis to one of the two sets of questionnaire, set 1 for clinical vignette of schizophrenia and set 2 for depression.