Parenting Stress of Chinese Mothers Living and Child-Rearing in Japan and Related Factors

Abstract

Background: Parenting stress causes physical and psychological problems for mothers during child-rearing and negatively impacts the growth and development of their children. We assumed that Chinese mothers living in Japan would experience particularly high levels of parenting stress and difficulty because they had to leave the environment in which they were born and raised in a different language and culture. Objective: The objective is to identify the actual situation and related factors of parenting stress among Chinese mothers in Japan. Methods: From July to October 2021, an online, anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was administered to the mothers of children aged 6 months to 5 years, and the data from 93 mothers were statistically analyzed. Results: Mothers in the study had one (45.2%) or two (45.2%) children in their care, and 23.7% of the mothers' husbands were Japanese. The average score of total PSI-SF-15 of the mothers in this study was slightly higher than that of mothers raising children in China. Additionally, "I think it is a shame not to practice Chinese customs", "I feel that Chinese customs are not respected", "the number of children with diagnosed diseases", "Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) total score" and "father's nationality" influenced the parenting stress of the mothers in this study. Conclusion: In order to reduce parenting stress among Chinese mothers in Japan, it is necessary to respect and support the practice of Chinese customs, create an environment in which it is easy to discuss children's illnesses, and educate mothers to promote the use of social support.

Promotion of Parenting and Mental Health Needs among Chinese Women Living in Japan: A Qualitative Study

“…The participants in this study reported considerable mental health problems during pregnancy, childbirth, and child rearing, such as postpartum depression, anxiety, parenting stress, and loneliness. These mental health problems were also previously found among Chinese women living in Japan [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. We found that receiving support from their husband was the most important factor related to women’s perinatal mental health.…”

“…However, only one study in this review included multiracial women such as Chinese women [ 15 ]. Additionally, some surveys that were administered in Japan for Chinese mothers with children of varying ages revealed that Chinese mothers exhibited parenting stress and loneliness, and lacked social support [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Furthermore, Jin et al developed a nursing intervention to prevent postpartum depression among Chinese immigrant women in Japan, but no significant results were reported [ 19 ].…”

Analysis of Parenting Stress, Co-parenting Level, Family Intimacy and Adaptability on Children's Social Skills via self-attention Network

“…Social skills refer to an important ability for children to properly and reasonably interact with family members and peers in homeschooling. Some researchers believe that self-control and initiative are important indicators to measure the differences in the development of Chinese children's social skills [3][4]. In the context of collectivism, in order to enhance the cohesion of the group, individuals are often required to suppress personal interests to meet the needs of the collective.…”

Effect of an Internet-based mental health promotion intervention among immigrant Chinese women: A quasi-experimental study

“…Furthermore, high COVID-19 concerns are linked to poor mental health in Chinese women in Japan ( Luo & Sato, 2021a ). However, although several studies propose that Chinese women who are pregnant, have given birth, or are raising children in Japan experience high levels of parenting stress and loneliness and receive inadequate social support ( Wakimizu & Wang, 2022 ), only one nursing intervention has been developed to prevent postpartum depression among these vulnerable women ( Jin et al, 2020 ). Moreover, another study has shown that social support reduces parenting stress and positively affects mental health among Chinese women in Japan ( Luo & Sato, 2021b ).…”