Feminist interviews - interview schedule

Study Title: Mental Health of Chinese Women in Britain, 1945-2000

1. The interviewee’s migration history, and that of her immediate family

• Where were you born?
• How did you come to live in this part of England?
• What are the best/worst aspects of having family elsewhere in the world?

2. The interviewee's employment history and how this combined with domestic responsibility and mental well-being.

• Could you tell me about the first paid jobs you had? And what about the next? Etc.
• How have you managed to combine your employment with your responsibilities for your husband/children/parents/parents-in-law?
• Can you tell me about a time when this combination was quite easy to manage?
  Why did it work well? Did this have any effect on your health?
• Can you tell me about a period when this combination was difficult to manage, and why? Did this have any effect on your health?

3. Informal and formal help and support-seeking during times of mental distress.

• Thinking of the last time when things were difficult: Did you ask anyone for any practical help? Did you tell anyone about the problems?
• If things got difficult again, would you turn to the same people for help?
• Do you or members of your family routinely use Chinese health centre/general practitioner/hospital/social services/drop-in centre/community or cultural centre?
  What for?
• Would you consider trying to get help from Chinese health centre/general practitioner/hospital/social services/drop-in centre/community or cultural centre? Why?
• Are there any changes that could be made to the NHS that would make you more willing to use it?

Interview Schedule (Revised):

A) Migration History:

• Country of origin: herself, husband, parents;
• How did you come to live in England? (Reasons? How? Social network)
• Anticipation and/or experiences of any difficulties: physical, cultural, racial and linguistic; problems overcome or still persist?
• family or relatives of your side (composition, family size, residence, feelings of them living here or elsewhere, the best/worst aspects)
• family or relatives of your husband side (composition, size, residence, the best or worst aspects of them living here or elsewhere)
• future plan: leaving or settling in this country

B) Employment History:

• work history (the no. of jobs before and in this country; nature of each jobs; mode of employment; reasons for change; difficulties or social networks in getting jobs in this country)
• work conditions (no. of hours, working environment, wages, relationships with colleagues)
• feelings and experiences of paid

C) Family Relations: (Immediate Family, own family, and husband's family)

• when and where get married? no. and composition of household members?
  Number, age, education/occupation of children? Planned or accident? Family planning: knowledge and usage of services?
• household division of labour: who do what and why? Sources and main providers of family income?
• child-caring experiences: happiness or difficulties? Does/did it affect employment, family finance, social life, or health? Expectation and realisation on children? Similarities and differences between her and her husband in terms of responsibilities, practice, disciplining, expectations
• relationship with, responsibilities to, and support from in-laws and husband’s relatives and friends
• relationship with, responsibilities for, and support from own family and relatives

D) Informal and Formal Help and Support-Seeking:

• the best and worst time so far? Share with whom? Any support and resources when needed? Whom, where, what?
• knowledge and usage of social services/drop-in centre/community or cultural centre? How often? When and what for?
• physical and social activeness (exercise, driving, leisure, study and classes, family and/or social activities? How often? what kind? With whom?)

E) Medical history:

• health conditions? Chronic illness (esp. on headache, insomnia, loss of weight, palpitation, pressures on chest, numbness or shaking of limbs?) other serious or minor illness? When and possible reasons? Treatment? What kind? Diagnosis (self, GP, and Chinese doctor)?
• worries, pressures and anxieties? When? What kind? Why? And how to handle?
• health of other family members (type of illness? Kind(s) of treatment? Diagnosis (self and doctors, Chinese or GP)
• perception, knowledge and usage of medical services: Chinese health centre/Chinese medicine/GP/alternative medicine? When to use what? How often? Any difficulties: language, accessibility, affordability, and cultural differences with medical officers? Suggestions for improvement?