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However, four key questions remain
unanswered. Firstly, on one hand, some new
migrants utilize gambling as a short-term escape
from their problems; on the other hand, the
majority of recent migrants do not use this
avoidance-coping strategy. In other words, there
is an urgent need to identify the key variables
that determine how people cope with adjustment
difficulties arising from the migration process.
Why do some people turn to gambling as a
solution while some do not and never would? What
are the more specific factors that shape and
reinforce one's gambling behaviors, in addition
to the non-specific factors proposed in this
paper (Zane & Huh-Kim, 1998)?
Secondly, it is of paramount importance to
investigate the factors that either trigger or
hinder help-seeking behaviors amongst those
members of the Chinese community who develop
gambling problems. Our service sees many people
seeking professional counseling when they find
themselves in desperate situations after
incurring large debts or after being directed by
the courts or the police. Also, we have little
understanding of how this usually short-term,
episodic, externally driven help-seeking
behavior could be turned to internalized,
self-owned determination to deal with the
gambling problems. Our observation is consistent
with data from the United States where Asians
tend not to use mental health or related social
services, or, when they do utilize these
services, they exhibit more severe mental stress
than their American counterparts (Sue, Fujino,
Hu, Takeuchi & Zane, 1991).
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