Grant: China-Canada Joint Health Research Initiative

Suicide is a major public health concern worldwide; almost 4000 people die by suicide each year in Canada alone (Statscan, 2006). China has 21% of the world's population but 44% of world's total suicides and 56% of world's female suicides (Phillips et al, 2002). Our project will aim to explore the impact of cultural conceptions of gender as a risk factor for suicidal behaviour in Chinese women and women of Chinese descent in Canada. We believe that rigid roles for women may lead to interpersonal stressors with parents, partner, in-laws and community rooted in the tension between expectations of what a woman's role should be and a woman's own desires and expectations, and this stress may be a risk factor for suicide. To examine this hypothesis, we will conduct a series of qualitative interviews focusing on gender role conflict and suicidal behavior and will analyze these interviews using modified grounded theory. According to the 2006 Census, approximately half of the population in the metropolitan Toronto area is foreign born, with over one million residents born in Asia and the Middle East. 10.4% of the population of the GTA identifies as ethnically Chinese (Statscan, 2006). Recent studies have highlighted themes of gender role stress in Chinese born women and Women of Chinese descent residing in North America who have experienced suicidal ideation and behaviour, including conflict between traditional and Western female roles (Chung, 2003). By examining gender role stress in both China and Canada, we can work to better identify and meet the needs of Chinese-Canadian women who are at risk for suicide. We can work to develop culturally appropriate mental health interventions to reduce the risk of suicidal behaviour and improve the quality of life for women experiencing gender role stress. This process can also provide a framework for examining and developing culturally sensitive suicide prevention strategies for at-risk Canadians.