Mental Illness & Treatment in
Asian American Culture
As of 2021, 6.1 % of U.S. citizens identify as Asian American or Pacific Islander. Of that 6.1%, almost 15% have reported mental illness in the past year. That totals out to about 3 million people.
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The Asian American population is the fastest-growing ethnic or racial grouping in the U.S., increasing 72% between 2000–2015.
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In 2019, over 19 million people living in the United States identify as Asian American or Pacific Islander, representing 6.1% of the total U.S. population.​ Of these, roughly 15% report having a mental illness in the past year, meaning more than 2.9 million Asian Americans experienced mental illness in 2019.
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Findings from the National Latino and Asian American Study also found that 17.3% of Asian Americans will be diagnosed with a psychiatric condition at some point in their lifetime.
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By some estimates, Asian Americans are three times less likely seeking treatment or help than other racial groups in the U.S. Mental Health America also states that they are the least likely racial group in the U.S. to seek mental health services.
Statistics
Why the Stigma?
There are many factors that contribute to the stigma around mental health in Asian American culture. Due to the stigma, the likelihood of a patient to seek help decreases immensely. A study at americanprogress.org found that the leading barrier keeping Asian Americans from seeking mental healthcare is because of fear of disability. With that, it is a cultural norm to be shamed for your mental health. These negative ideas can also discourage people from seeking treatment to avoid shaming themselves, their family, or their community, values that are held so highly in their culture. In many Asian cultures, it is forbidden to talk about mental health at all, inferring that mental illness is shameful and should be kept private.
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Another factor that stigmatizes mental heath treatment is the model minority myth. The myth declares that Asian Americans are fully-integrated, intelligent, industrious, and have overcome racial bias. This kind of thinking places pressure on those within this group, feeling the need to meet these standards or expectations. In addition, people are encouraged to deny their failures and their pain, causing them to overlook, deny, and ignore any kind of mental health symptoms they may be be faced with.
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Many of the prevalent religions in Asian American countries also promote ideas that mental illness is a sin, divine punishment, that it represents an internal imbalance or stems from a lack of faith, and that it can be cured with the right amount of faith, prayer, and good behavior.
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Another leading factor is the issue that Asian Americans are said to have the most trouble accessing mental healthcare due to the language barriers of ALL ethnic and racial groups in the United States, making it even less likely for them to seek treatment.