By Dr Bibiana Chan
Mr Rob Mills,
Senior Advisor for MP Nicolette Boele.
Hi Rob,
Thank you for the opportunity to meet with Hon. Nicolette Boele alongside other Chinese community leaders. I’ve taken some notes (as a professional helper, I listen). While my memory is fresh, I’ve summarised below some key reflections from the meeting, with a focus on mental health and community wellbeing issues that Chinese-Australian communities are facing. I hope this will be useful in informing Nicolette’s engagement and policy priorities. There are four key areas to consider. I’ll address them one by one:
- Unrealistic expectations and perfectionism,
- Stigma around mental illness,
- Sense of belonging and social identity
- Loneliness, social cohesion, and intergenerational exchange
1. Unrealistic expectations and perfectionism
Many in the Chinese community grow up with high — often unrealistic — expectations of themselves. Perfectionism, a personality trait associated with a greater risk of clinical depression, is common. Chinese-Australians are often told from a young age that they must work twice as hard to gain the same recognition as their Anglo-Australian peers. Parents may also set demanding expectations, leaving children caught between two cultures. I first explored this issue when I hosted a parenting forum in 2000.
2. Stigma around mental illness
Despite progress in mainstream Australia since BeyondBlue was founded in 2000, the stigma surrounding mental illness remains deeply entrenched in many CALD communities. This stigma is a key barrier to seeking professional support. At CFS, we run mental health promotion programs under the “disguise” of creative activities. Parents are comfortable sending their children because we adopt a “no questions asked about diagnosis” approach. This builds trust and creates a vital bridge between young people (and their parents) and professional services, helping to gradually destigmatise mental illness.
3. Sense of belonging and social identity
My PhD research confirmed that migrants who develop a strong sense of belonging — whether to their heritage culture or to the adapted Australian culture — are more likely to flourish. First-generation migrants often want their children to remain closely tied to their heritage, while second-generation migrants lean towards identifying with Australian peers. This tension can cause conflict within families. Marginalisation occurs when individuals identify with neither their parents’ culture nor the mainstream, leaving them vulnerable.
In the Lower North Shore and Northern Beaches, for example, StreetWork (established in 1980) provides mentoring and crime-prevention programs for at-risk youth. Since 2019, CFS has collaborated with StreetWork to help young people build social identity and connection.
4. Loneliness, social cohesion, and intergenerational exchange
Intergenerational exchange is a unique strength of CFS programs. For instance, our youth-focused creative workshops are also open to older adults, with a two-tiered payment system. This enables meaningful interactions across age groups: young co-facilitators learn to “serve” older adults, while retirees enjoy engaging with younger people. The result is mutual benefit and a more compassionate, less polarised community.
The World Health Organization recently declared social connection as the next global health strategy to combat the pandemic of loneliness. Intergenerational exchange is one powerful solution. During COVID-19, for example, we encouraged young people to look out for their elderly neighbours living alone — a practice that built resilience, empathy, and community connection.
I hope this summary is useful for Nicolette and the team as they continue engaging with the Chinese community and the wider CALD communities. As I mentioned to Nicolette earlier, since June this year I have been serving as the NSW representative on the National Consumer Alliance Multicultural Mental Health Affinity Group. I hope to make a small but meaningful impact in developing policy for multicultural mental health services. Please let me know if I can provide further insights in this area.
Have a great week!
Warm regards,
Bibi
Dr Bibiana Chan, CF
PhD (UNSW)
Founder and President
P.S.
Ms Kate Xavier is the Professional Education Lead for ‘Together for Humanity’.
This is the link to the Black Dog Institute ClearlyMe page
My article ‘Shifting the Paradigm Shift’ reflecting from a ‘lived experience’ perspective on the launch of North Sydney Health and Wellbeing Hub. MP for Willoughby, Hon. Tim James, attended this meeting in Feb 2025.
