Cross-cultural differences in mother-infant relationships: implications for multicultural society

Japanese families living in the United Kingdom are an example of a visiting community. Even in such a resilient group, inevitable stresses are engendered by being away from home, some of which have implications for maternal and infant mental health. Differences have ben described between Japanese and Western mothers, babies and families, so there is a clinical need to be aware that some of these differences represent normality within a given culture. Ethnic groups must be viewed against their own cultural contexts if there needs are to be better understood and service provision is to be appropriate, accessible and acceptable.