Mental health of African asylum-seekers and refugees in Hong Kong: using the social determinants of health framework

Background: Hong Kong is non-signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, and has no systematic domestic policies committed to the rights of asylum-seekers and refugees (ASRs). This creates a tenuous setting for African ASRs there. This study explored how mapped social determinates of health has impacted the mental health and wellbeing of African ASR’s in Hong Kong. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 374 African ASRs. The survey comprised of: (a) sociodemographics; (b) health status; (c) health behaviours; and, (d) social experiences. Associations between social determinants of health and depression screen were explored and multivariable regression analysis was conducted. Results: Majority of participants were 18–37 years old (79.7%), male (77.2%), single (66.4%) and educated (60.9% high school and above). Over a third (36.1%) screened positive for depression. Analyses revealed that living with family reduced the odds of a positive depression screen (OR = 0.25, 95%CI = 0.07–0.88). Those perceiving their health to be “Poor” were 5.78 times as likely to be screened for depression. Additionally, those with higher scores on the discrimination scale were more likely to have positive depression screen (OR = 1.17, 95%CI = 1.10–1.24). Conclusion: A significant proportion of African ASRs in Hong Kong exhibits depressive symptoms. A complex interaction combining both social and perceptions of health and discrimination in the host society is likely exacerbated by their ASR status. The use of community support groups or even re-examination of the family reunification laws could improve the mental health and wellbeing of African ASRs in Hong Kong

Book launch event : Reproductive politics in East Asia : rethinking reproductive agency amid demographic crises

Objectives:Since the beginning of the 21st century, East Asia has entered an era of demographic crisis — with an expanding ageing population and a persistent decline in the fertility rate. While increasing the fertility rate has become an urgent task for East Asian governments and societies, individual reproductive agency has been neglected under the dominant pronatalist rhetoric. Reproduction is a private experience and a matter of personal freedom and bodily autonomy, yet it is subsumed under the state\u27s biopolitical governance through various regulatory measures. This book launch, as well as the interdisciplinary panel, focuses on the reproductive politics in East Asia and brings to light diverse reproductive experiences and subjectivities, including premarital abortion in mainland China, abortion politics in Taiwan, contraceptive decision-making in Japan, and reproductive aspirations in mainland China. It explores a timely and under-addressed topic, offering insights into the relationship between personal and public politics in the context of reproduction. Abstract of the Book:Drawing on participant observations, in-depth interviews, and content analysis of online materials, Premarital abortion in China: intimacy, family and reproduction investigates the role of individual choice, relationships, and institutions in unmarried Chinese women’s decisions to terminate their pregnancies. Where previous studies have focused on abortion in China as a state-mandated procedure to enforce the one-child policy, this book looks at a new era, where abortion is primarily based on individuals’ decisions. While young women in China enjoy greater freedom to pursue their personal, sexual, and reproductive aspirations, their autonomy remains constrained by structural inequalities of gender, class, and migration status, which are reproduced through the intersection of state policies, market forces, and patriarchal family culture. In this book, the author recounts the stories and presents the voices of unmarried young adult women, and documents the impact of sweeping socioeconomic transformation on their reproductive experiences in contemporary China amidst the ending of the one-child policy. Author’s Bio:Ruby Lai Yuen Shan is a Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Policy at Lingnan University, Hong Kong. Her research interests revolve around gender, family, reproductive politics, and ethnicity in Hong Kong and China. Photo Gallery:https://gallery.ln.edu.hk/lib/BookLaunch-202303