Liqin’s Story

I have been mediating for Liqin, a Chinese woman, ever since 2012. I was present at her three deliveries and at the medical follow-up of both her children and herself. Over the years, a real bond of trust has grown between her and me as her mediator. “Is this a trustworthy service?” she always asks me before making an appointment somewhere.

Last year, Liqin’s residence documents expired and she was un able to renew them. Moreover, she unexpectedly became pregnant with her third child and found that difficult to deal with. She had not wanted to have another child, but now she wanted to keep the child for her husband. They already had two daughters and her husband and his family really wanted a boy. During Liqin’s pregnancy, her mother in China was diagnosed with breast cancer. Because her residence permit was not in order, she could not visit her mother. She also had problems with her husband, who had become addicted to gambling. No one within her own network supported her, neither with her pregnancy, nor in the children’s education, nor in her struggle to cope with her mother’s illness.

A prenatal care worker proposed that she look for psychological support. Liqin initially hesitated, but in the end accepted the idea – provided that I was allowed to go accompany her. Mental health care is not that well established in China. There are no mental health facilities in rural areas or in the smaller towns. They do exist in the big cities, but people will usually keep quiet about seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist for fear of being labeled ‘crazy’.

First, an ambulatory care service came to Liqin’s house. They made all the necessary arrangements to support her and also contacted a mental health service to further counsel Liqin. They help her to get her documents back in order, find activities for the children, and provide psychological support. During the first two months this happened weekly, then every two weeks. At the first contact with the psychologist, Liqin said to me: “Go on, you tell my story.” Now she has become much more open and is able to tell her own story in order to get the help that she needs.