Family, health, and wellbeing: the lives of Chinese immigrants in the Netherlands
The doctoral research revolves around the older and younger Chinese immigrants in the Netherlands. Specifically, the topic of study was the wellbeing of the older Chinese immigrants, and cultural elements regarding family relationships that may play part in the in the wellbeing of this population. For this purpose, comparative studies have been conducted among older Chinese adults in China and the Netherlands. The younger second-generation Chinese immigrants also took part in the research.
It was found that the cultural elements are relevant both to the older and younger immigrants in the Netherlands. These are specifically of importance to the mental wellbeing of the older generation, and frames how filial caregiving takes place among the second-generation Chinese immigrants. In general, the older Chinese adults are predominantly socially vulnerable, such as a high prevalence of loneliness.
These findings indicate that older Chinese immigrants are in need of social bonding. Secondly, cultural elements are of importance to consider for professionals working both with older and younger Chinese immigrants in the Netherlands.