China Overseas Chinese Network, November 14th, title: Overseas Chinese, psychological prevention of "epidemic" is also important
The epidemic has repeated several times since the global outbreak, and the mood of the overseas Chinese has risen and fallen like a roller coaster.
Just unblocking here, the second wave of epidemics ushered in there.
Unemployment, separation from relatives, discrimination...Many people are not only under financial pressure, but also become emotionally anxious and have psychological problems.
Under the epidemic, what are the psychological problems faced by overseas Chinese?
What should I do?
-Business frustration-
Many of the overseas Chinese are engaged in catering and service industries, and the epidemic has a great impact on these industries.
Difficult business is a problem faced by most Chinese businessmen.
Xiong Peng, president of the Hunan Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the United Kingdom, said frankly that if the government does not subsidize the city after the “second lockdown” of the United Kingdom, and the rent is not reduced, the second wave of “closures” in the catering industry will come.
As far as he is concerned, after the second lockdown, his restaurant in Chinatown has been difficult to maintain. He plans to close the store and keep it in Holborn.
In this process, someone could not bear it and chose to escape.
Affected by the epidemic, Mr. Chen, a Chinese man in New York, encountered difficulties in his restaurant business.
As the pillar of the family, he took a lot of psychological pressure, and finally left without saying goodbye after leaving a letter.
After discovering that Mr. Chen was missing, his family was anxious, and they ran all day to find people. Mr. Chen's son also turned to the Federation of Asian American Societies for help, hoping to help find his father and reunite the family as soon as possible.
Chen Shanzhuang, president of the Federation of Asian American Associations, said that under the crisis of the epidemic, Chinese small businesses have been affected to varying degrees. This is a social problem. You don’t need to be too disappointed. As long as people are safe and cheer up, many things can be restored. Over.
-Separation of trauma-
The epidemic will have a serious impact on the mental health of individuals, and many people have suffered losses at different levels.
Not only the loss of loved ones, but also the difficulties of unemployment and separation from loved ones.
In early March, Caitlin's father in China suddenly passed away due to a heart attack.
A few weeks later, New Zealand declared a national emergency.
Under the epidemic situation, many countries have adopted a policy of "closing the city".
The picture shows a street sign in London, England, with measures to prevent the epidemic.
Caitlin is the mother of three children. The youngest is only six months old and has no passport.
In the end, she did not go back to say goodbye to her father.
"I feel let down my father." She said.
In July, Malaysian designer Mr. Chen received the sad news of his mother's death.
However, it was a long way home and the flights were so few that he could not see his mother for the last time.
In this case, many people began to seek psychological assistance.
The New Zealand National Asian Mental Health and Addiction Initiative and Advisory Organization stated that since the outbreak, the demand for mental health services has soared.
According to the records of the Asian service hotline, the number of calls increased by 150% between May and July this year.
Data map: Indonesia, Yogyakarta Bantul, a volunteer provides psychological assistance to a local resident affected by the epidemic.
Since the implementation of strict epidemic prevention and control measures in mid-to-late March, the number of mental health services provided by Australian medical institutions has also increased sharply, reaching 7.4 million.
The person in charge of a New Zealand charity organization pointed out that undigested trauma and loss are the cause of some people's psychological problems.
She called for normalizing relevant discussions, admitting loss, and supporting others in dealing with and digesting pain in a healthy way.
-Lack of communication-
2020 is also an unusual year for children.
They can’t go to school, hug with close friends, stay at home and have online lessons every day; they can’t travel, go to amusement parks, or perform in theaters.
The picture shows the teacher from Northwest Normal University recording and broadcasting online class.
Photo by Liu Yutao
In consideration of children's mental health, schools in some countries have decided to resume classes.
Attorney Ji, a Spanish Chinese, said that children have classmates and friends.
If I can't see friends for a year or a half, I'll be mentally unhealthy.
In addition, children have long-term online lessons at home during the epidemic, and conflicts and conflicts between parents and children tend to increase.
However, more Chinese people consider their physical health and believe that safety comes first, and they do not want their children to return to school.
In this regard, Lawyer Ji said that this may be a trend in the post-epidemic era.
What we can do now is to take protective measures and try our best to adapt to the environment.
-Discrimination harm-
The epidemic broke out in many places overseas, and discrimination and prejudice against ethnic Chinese groups appeared in some countries.
The New Zealand Asian Family Service Center pointed out that in the hate incidents in New Zealand, nearly half of the victims were Chinese;
The patient of British Chinese doctor Alex Lee refused to accept his treatment and insisted on changing to a white doctor;
Racial discrimination against Chinese people appeared on some French social media, causing panic among the Asian ethnic group. Some Asian elderly people did not even dare to go out at night...
Data map: Asian people gathered in downtown Brooklyn, New York to oppose racial discrimination.
Photo by Cui Guoxun, "Qiao Bao", USA
According to a survey conducted by the New Zealand Asian Family Service Center, 43.9% of Asians have suffered different forms of psychological stress since the epidemic.
"During the lockdown, our services also encountered high demand in terms of emotional support and counseling." said Ms. Feng, the national executive director of the New Zealand Asian Family Service Center.
Some interviewees believe that people who are discriminated against are more likely to have mental health problems.
"I feel distressed that people encounter racial discrimination and racism. The important thing is not the numbers. It is that we must continue to work hard to make progress in systems and education in order to eliminate racism." New Zealand Race Relations Commissioner Liao Zhenming said.
-How to face it?
-
In response to the various psychological problems that overseas Chinese may encounter, experts have given feasible suggestions.
Yang Lixia, a psychologist at Whiteson University in Canada, believes that in the face of the epidemic, overseas Chinese should actively adjust their emotions, maintain mental health, arrange work and life reasonably, and learn to relieve mental stress.
When encountering mental stress, take the initiative to communicate with family members and obtain help from the community or professional organizations.
Chinese scholar Wang Peizhong believes that in the face of discrimination, if the situation is serious, the Chinese should respond in a timely manner, but they should also avoid excessive interpretation, which will cause too much psychological pressure on themselves.
New York, the United States, recently launched a new mental health plan to provide psychological counselors for public school students in the city to better respond to students' mental health needs.
It is reported that the New York City Government has also established the "School Bridge" program to provide students with mental health courses to help them relieve the mental stress caused by the epidemic and other reasons.
In addition, the overseas Chinese have also spontaneously organized to relieve their psychological pressure in various ways.
Enthusiastic overseas Chinese in Montreal, Canada, organized spontaneously to establish a "mutual aid group". The overseas Chinese chatted and told jokes on the Internet to relieve everyone's psychological pressure, and some offered free online Cantonese classes.
Data map: Residents of the Chinese community in Jakarta, Indonesia spontaneously organize fitness and walks, optimistically fighting the "epidemic".
The Chinese Cultural Center in Paris, France launched the "Cloud Tour Hubei" video exhibition through its website, allowing people to appreciate Hubei's natural scenery and cultural heritage online through wonderful and vivid pictures and videos.
Some overseas Chinese in the UK have formed a "Chinese Little Master" food exchange group. Everyone in the group exposes dishes, "checks in" on time, exchanges experiences, and even teaches group friends to cook their own hometown dishes remotely.
The smoke and fire in the kitchen somewhat dilutes the helplessness and boringness of home epidemic prevention...
Today, vaccines in many countries have begun to develop.
Please calm down and believe that everything will pass soon!
(Shenkaoziliao: China News Agency, Xinhua News Agency, the United States, "Qiao Bao", the United States, "World News," European Times, New Zealand day-dimensional net, author: Liu Likun, ID: qiaowangzhongguo)