Factors Influencing Professional Help Seeking for Suicidal Thoughts in Young People: Considerations of Designing a Cross-Cultural Health Promotion Study

The present case study reports our reflections on methodological aspects of a cross-cultural health promotion research project in China and Australia. Using a study examining the differences between Chinese and Australian university students in seeking professional help for suicidal thoughts as a case, we summarize our practice and considerations of designing a health promotion research in cross-cultural settings. We emphasize the importance of having a predefined and thorough study design from literature review to pre-study ethics approval before implementing the research. We also discuss a range of specific issues at each step and our recommendations on approaching those issues. Readers are expected to gain a better understanding on how to design a feasible cross-cultural health promotion research.