​Let's Talk Mental Health

Within many Asian American households, mental health issues are often suppressed and dismissed. This is the result of a broader cultural stigma that places a taboo on mental health, where it is viewed as weak and an embarrassment to discuss struggles with mental health. Instead, Asians and Asian Americans are encouraged to struggle in silence, and their struggles with mental health are minuscule and unimportant. These practices are extremely harmful as they create toxic environments that exacerbate severe mental health issues of anxiety and depression rather than providing the space and opportunity to heal. Having personally gone through these struggles within my own household and seeing fellow peers struggling in the same way, I’ve become hyper-aware of the fact that our generation must work to break this stigma and silence. 

 

Before we dive into the detriments of the cultural stigma around mental health in Asian American cultures, it’s important to understand its roots and how it manifests. These stigmas are born from the idea that struggling with mental health is viewed as weak, as something that goes against cultural values of showing a strong front or face that upholds the image of their communities and families. When you showcase signs of struggling with mental health, or even worse, dare to discuss it openly, you are seen as weak, as letting down the strong front or face that is supposed to represent your family and community proudly. In Asian cultures, talking about mental health isn’t solely viewed as weak but is something that is seen with shame. As Asian Americans, many of us are born into families of diaspora, where these cultural roots and values run deep. But, simultaneously, we are exposed to Western culture and ideas where conversations about mental health and seeking help are encouraged. As we have exposure to these healthier and more progressive ideas, we can break the stigma and culture of silence within Asian cultures. 

 

The cultural stigma of mental health manifests in dangerous ways as Asian Americans are less likely to seek help for severe mental health struggles. Research has shown that Asian Americans are the least likely to seek professional help for their mental health struggles as compared to any other ethnic group. Yet, at the same time, suicide is the leading cause of death among Asian American teens. While a myriad of causes lead to Asian Americans not seeking help, stigma is a key pivotal factor that encourages them to struggle in silence. 

 

Asian American mental health is something to be taken seriously absolutely. So many of us face unique struggles that are a result of a culture that exacerbates cutthroat and high-pressure environments, alongside facing racism and stereotypes as a minority group in the US. While breaking this cultural stigma will require a larger cultural shift that can only be created by larger movements, it's important we take grassroots steps now.