Lisa Sun

Mental Health in the Asian American Community

 

In many Asian families it is either extremely difficult to talk to about mental health or is simply not talked about at all. A large majority of Asians do not seek help for mental health.

American Psychological Association:

According to American Psychological Association data collected from the Latino and Asian American Study, Asians have a rate of 17.30 percent for mental disorders. However, Asians are three times less likely as whites to get mental treatment. Another similar study done at the University of Maryland found that there were similar factors that effected mental health of those Asian american young adults who participated in the study. These similar factors includes: 

• Pressure from parents to be successful in academics
• Discussion about mental health was taboo or prohibited in Asian cultures which leads to Asian Americans to disregard, dismiss, or neglect symptoms.
• They had pressure to be able to live up to the stereotype of the "model minority"(the stereotype that all Asians are good at academics and are successful)
• The obligations for their family that are based on their family traditions and culture
• Being Discriminated due to cultural or ethnic background 

• Having a difficult time developing and balancing sense of self with two different cultures (American and Asian).

Another Study by Spencer and Colleges (2010) says that most young Asian Americans do not seek support from counselors therapists and other professionals,but instead seek help from people that are close to them such as friends or anyone whom they trust and are comfortable talking to. 

 Good Morning America:

 According to Good Morning America Website Asian-Americans have a lower reported rate of mental disorder and suicide when compared to the white majority;however Asian Americans are less likely to receive help. The biggest reason for not seeking mental health help is due to the fact that in the Asian community a person cannot be restricted by something that is not physically visible. It is simply unacceptable in Asian Cultures. In the Asian Culture having a mental disability is shameful. According to Pew 59% of Asian Americans have trouble expressing mental disorders because of language barriers, stigma in their culture, and also the lack of understanding of the resources that can help them with mental health.

This Topic Is Relevant To Me Because...

I am a part of this community in many ways. I am an Asian-American who grew up with two cultures. I have Traditional Chinese parents who may love and care for me and I am able to discuss almost anything in the world with them EXCEPT mental health. The first time I figured out that talking about mental health issues was not only taboo or just simply disregarded is when I tried to talk to my mother about my depression that I was depressed last semester for about half of the semester due to a hormone crash I had experienced because I stopped hormonal birth control that I had been taking for about 2 years. When I tried to talk to her about my depression she only brushed me off and said that I'm fine and I'm "normal". She even said to me that I must be joking with her. That lead me to start talking to my close friends for help. Recently this semester I was diagnosed with ADHD. I remember when I was younger I repeated first grade due to the fact that I could not focus or be able to keep my attention well enough in class. Growing up I had many difficulties with focus and had to find other or different ways to learn or understand something. I always felt like I was different as a child. My parents never thought once that I needed help from a professional or anyone. They would tell me that I am normal. Once again I tried to talk to my parents first about my issues and concerns about having ADHD and how I will see a psychiatrist. My mother started to say "I don't think... never mind you are twenty-three and a adult." My father said that if I went to a psychiatrist and started taking medication that I would be kicked out of the house. In the end I went to the psychiatrist anyway secretly and I am hiding my medication from my father. My friends essentially became my therapists. Without my friends I do not know where I would be now.  

Affected Community 

"I think mental health is still an issue that needs to be addressed more. I think each race deals with some type of trauma or mental illness that associates to them. Being Asian I did have high anxiety, depression, and perfectionism issues that I dealt with growing up. It was hard feeling like those issues were normal but they were not healthy for my mind. Which became a little harder when I got older dealing with these issues."-Kalinah Tallase

"I think mental health is an important aspect of well being and I'm very open with seeking help from psychological professionals. Personally, I didn't grow up in an environment that emphasizes the importance of mental health and how we can go about it. My parents and I never had a conversation on this topic as well. I guess the cultural value of hard-working is what resulted in mental toughness in many Asian people and in which then makes it less likely for them to seek outside help for their mental health."-Vicky Chen (No Photo)

 

The following video is from Good Morning America Website:




Resources

Chen, S. (n.d.). Asian-American women want to end the stigma around mental health treatment. Retrieved from https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/wellness/story/generation-asian-american women-fighting-normalize-mental-health-57651825.

Nishi, K. (n.d.). Mental Health Among Asian-Americans. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/ethnicity-health/asian-american/article-mental-health?fbclid=IwAR0joK7_Oxz7-Y1CsBT9Q5Gp1_weCnLHBO6a5PlGjW8fwHwiScBT_GzotLw.

Spencer, M., Chen, J., Gee, G., Fabian, C., Takeuchi, D. (2010). "Discrimination and Mental Health-Related Service Use in a National Study of Asian Americans." American Journal of Public Health, 100(12), 2410-2417.