THE ZUBIN FOUNDATION Improves the lives of Hong Kong’s ethnic minorities by reducing suffering and providing opportunities
6 June 2023 The Zubin Foundation Extends its Condolences to the Family in the Sham Shui Po Tragic Incidence More Support is Required to Address the Mental Health Needs of Ethnic Minorities The Zubin Foundation is saddened by the tragic deaths of the three young children in the local ethnic minority community. The Foundation extends its condolences to the family and friends of all concerned. The Foundation operates the only helpline for women and girls in crisis in Hindi, Urdu and English and we answer to all those who need help to call the helpline Call Mira on 9682 3100. The mental health of ethnic minorities is in a precarious state with poverty and social exclusion, and the situation has worsened since the onset of COVID. In 2021 the Call Mira helpline received 856 calls from women and girls in distress and in 2022 it was 702. According to a recent report published by The Zubin Foundation in March this year, 80% of those who reached out to seek one to one counselling through our Ethnic Minority Well-being Centre score severe or extremely severe in the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale and 23% of the help seekers exhibit suicidal or self-harm risks. 85% of those seeking counselling support were women and 58% were aged 30 or below. The most common issues triggering mental health concerns are family conflicts. In intergenerational conflicts, contributing factors include differences in values between traditional parents and contemporary children, forced marriage, unfair treatment of girls and disturbed family environments. In marital conflicts, power imbalances, disagreements on family issues, extramarital relationships and lack of communication are impacting the relationships of the individuals. Due to close family ties, extended families are actively involved in household and child matters and this can also be a contributing factor of mental health concerns. Aside from the aforementioned family conflicts, clients also referenced both past and present experiences of domestic violence and other forms of trauma. Managing a large family was also a source of stress for South Asian families, especially women in Pakistani communities. The Department of Psychiatry of The University of Hong Kong conducted a randomised controlled trial study to evaluate the effectiveness of The Zubin Foundation’s counselling service, the results showed that participants who received counselling experienced greater reductions in their depression (-11.67 vs -2.80 in the control group) and anxiety (-7.70 vs -2.23 in the control group) symptoms, as well as greater improvement in their quality of life related to their mental health (+12.77 vs. +3.08 in the control group).
The Zubin Mahtani Gidumal Foundation Limited, known as The Zubin Foundation (registered charity in Hong Kong - IR 91/12344). 小彬紀念基金會 (香港註冊慈善機構 IR 91/12344) 。 Unit 5F, High Fashion Centre, No. 1 Kwai Hei Street, Kwai Chung, Hong Kong 香港葵涌葵喜街 1 號達利國際中心 5 樓 F 室。 Tel 電話: +852 2540 9588 E-mail 電郵: info@zubinfoundation.org Website 網址: www.zubinfoundation.org © 2023 The Zubin Mahtani Gidumal Foundation Limited (registered charity in Hong Kong - IR 91/12344). All rights reserved.