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Aims and objectives.  This study examined the cultural attribution of distress in the Chinese, the special role of the family in distress and the specific emotional reactions within distress dictated by culture.

Methods.  This phenomenological study illustrated the narrative representation of the experiences of suffering by the Chinese patients with mental illness. Twenty‐eight Chinese–Australian patients and their caregivers were interviewed together in their homes. They were invited to talk about the stories of the patients’ experiences of suffering from mental illness. The interviews were recorded and transcribed to be further analysed according to the principles of narrative analysis.

Results.  The results of case narration indicated that (1) because of the influence of Confucian ideals, interpersonal harmony was the key element of maintaining the Chinese patients’ mental health, (2) Chinese patients’ failure to fulfil …