The United States of America is a fast growing country that is comprised of many different ethnicities. In particular, according to the Pew Research Center (Budiman & Ruiz, 2021), Asian Americans (AAs) are projected to quadruple their population to 46 million by 2060. With such an increase, there are problems that arise. One of the most prevalent issues is that many Asian Americans fail to treat and care for their mental health, attributed to the cultural identity and psychological factors that have played a role throughout their lifetime.

Asians have been an integral part of American culture, beginning with immigrants being hired as cheap laborers to facing discrimination to the Asian American movement in the 1960’s. Throughout this time and afterwards, Asian Americans achieved a certain stereotype. They were being called the “model minority,” coined in the late 1960s and characterized as being “educated, law-abiding, hardworking, and hav[ing] high incomes, low crime rates, and close family ties” (Yi et al., 2016). Although at first glance it may seem like a positive reinforcement, it is far from the truth. This definition binds this minority group to a higher standard compared to other non-Hispanic and White counterparts. It disillusions how Asians  assimilated—through docile, submissive, and nonviolent ways—into the American culture after the years of racial discrimination and injustice experienced, applauding that they had overcome the racial bias.

Mental health is a major issue that is being addressed more frequently in the recent years, especially after the impact of the Covid pandemic. There is a disparity in the health services of mental health in the care of adults, especially in non-White ethnic groups. One inequity that should be noted is medical racism, which is described by an article from Jimenez et al. (2022):

[Medical racism] has laid the foundation for minoritized communities to mistrust psychiatry. In American psychiatry, diagnostic criteria, questionnaires, and treatment practices were normed on the exclusive perceptions and values and expressions of White, cisgender, heterosexual, ableist men to serve the needs of other privileged, White groups… [having had] a long history of pathologizing cultural and racial differences that deviate from norms accepted by White American mainstream culture.

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This article reveals that the Westernized and one-track way of diagnosing psychiatric issues does not conform nor understand the relationship of mental illness within minority ethnic groups, thus providing misdiagnoses or undiagnosed mental illnesses.

In particular, Asian Americans tend to suppress most, if not all, of these symptoms due to the idea that having a mental illness brings “shame” and “dishonor” to the family and is a sign of weakness. According to the study “Mental Health of American Older Adults: Contemporary Issues and Future Directions,” Dr. Kim et al. (2020) states, “Older Asians tend to present and report somatic symptoms while suppressing or discounting psychological or emotional systems, which often makes it challenging to apply psychiatric diagnoses based on Western views.” Older AAs, not just the younger generation, have been struggling with addressing any mental illnesses, especially when being examined through Western lenses. There is that cultural pressure sitting in the back of their minds that prevents them from seeking help.

However, there are solutions to overcome the health barriers and the myth. For one, the diversity of the health care workforce is increasing. Many Asians have felt marginalized from their experience with health care services, so they become reluctant for a follow-up visit or even stating all their symptoms. With an increased number of Asian providers, AAs will be more comfortable seeking out help and be more open to expressing any psychiatric issues. Community engagement is another component that can spread awareness by handing out health pamphlets in different languages and introducing speakers that advocate for their health within their local church, library, or school. Lastly, more research and studies are needed over Asian Americans revolving around their mental health in order to provide a better understanding of correlation and treatment, especially within the subgroups of this demographic. With the ever-growing population of Asian Americans, many are still facing this model minority myth as well as cultural and family pressure. But with the growing healthcare diversity, increasing awareness, and more research, addressing and treating mental health within the Asian community

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Works Cited‍

Budiman, A., & Ruiz, N. (2021, April 29). Key facts about Asian Americans, a diverse and growing population. Pew Research Center. www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/29/key-facts-about-asian-americans/

Jimenez, D., Park, M., Rosen, D., Joo, J., Garza, D., Weinstein, E., Conner, K., Silva, C., & Okereke, O. (2022, November). Centering culture in mental health: Differences in diagnosis, treatment, and access to care among older people of color. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 30(11), 1234-1251. Doi.org/10.1016/j.jafgp.2022.01.001

Kim, G., Wang, S., Park, S., & Yun, S. (2020, August 24). Mental health of Asian American older adults: Contemporary issues and future directions. Innovation in Aging, 4(5). Doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaa037

Yi, S., Kwon, S., Sacks, R., & Trinh-Shevrin, C. (2016, Jaunary 21). Commentary: Persistence and Health-Related Consequences of the Model Minority Stereotype for Asian Americans. Ethnicity & Disease, 26(1), 133-138. Doi.org/10.18865/ed.26.1.133