By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
MANY in the Vietnamese community are silently shunning mental health and disability services out of personal shame, say members of a Springvale help agency.
Bic Gresty, the disability support officer at Springvale Indo-Chinese Mutual Assistance Association, said the stigma has created a “hidden” health issue for patients and their families.
It causes parents to hide away disabled children and older people to stay home out of the public eye.
“They have no bad stories to tell. They don’t tell you until it’s too late,” Ms Gresty said.
“One client came to see me in my office. She closed the curtains and spoke lightly because she was to tell me she had a child with a disability.”
Ms Gresty said most Vietnamese are Buddhist, believing mental health and disabilities stem from doing something “really bad” in the past.
“They believe they need to pay back in this life and come back (without affliction) in the next life.
“That’s why people don’t get treatment for mental health or people with cancer don’t talk about it.”
“If a baby has cancer, the parents don’t want the community to know.
“It means they have done something wrong in their past life and been punished with a baby with cancer.”
Ms Nguyen said some cancer patients view Western treatments as a last resort, preferring herbal and animal-based medicines.
In some cases the last resort is sought too late.
SICMAA is staging an aged and disability services expo – titled Vietnamese Happy Living Day – to help break down people’s fears.
It gathers together more than 30 of the region’s health, aged care and disability service providers – with about 25 Vietnamese interpreters – under one roof.
Ms Nguyen said elderly people in the Vietnamese community were largely ignorant of what services exist and how to access them.
“There’s a combination of a lack of knowledge, lack of English, lack of personal transport, financial issues – so they just don’t know about the services.
“Some are isolated from their families due to family conflict. They just stay at home. Their family members can’t live with them.”
Ms Nguyen hopes the expo will also attract young people who may be more willing to seek help.
“At least we can try to reduce the stigma for the next generation,” she said.
The expo is at Springvale Town Hall, 397-405 Springvale Road, Springvale, on Wednesday from 9.30am to 2.30pm.
Details from sicmaa.bh@bigpond.com or 0414 840 523.
