Breaking the Cycle: Illuminating Paths to Asian American Mental Wellness
Among the Asian American community, mental health issues never truly held any weight. Specifically, such issues tend to be viewed as illegitimate and easily alleviated with the passage of time. Due to longstanding cultural beliefs, mental health issues have the reputation of bringing shame to one’s family because the very presence of these issues illustrate an image of weakness, laziness, or even incapacitation. As a result, mental health is rarely mentioned, whether it be during jubilant Chinese New Year celebrations with extended family or daily dinner conversations with one’s parents. Amanda Rosenberg, an Asian American woman diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, echoes this sentiment in her article. She specifies that mental health discussions around family not only felt taboo, but also generated feelings of hostility and animosity from even the closest of family members. While Rosenberg argues that Asian American individuals sharing personal anecdotes related to their mental health journey is an effective step towards minimising cultural stigma surrounding mental health, I argue that a more worthwhile option exists — one that takes preemptive action. Through governmental initiatives, institutions should prioritise mental health education starting at the middle school level so as to establish a positive mindset towards mental wellbeing in one’s formative years.
To contextualise the condemnation, such cultural norms can be traced back to long-established Chinese philosophies belonging to Confucianism. While Confucianism emphasises virtues such as filial piety, collectivism, and the pursuit of social harmony, it has also been associated with a tendency to downplay individual emotions and psychological well-being. The emphasis on “maintaining face”, avoiding public embarrassment, and prioritising family and societal expectations over personal needs has greatly contributed to a cultural stigma surrounding mental health issues. As a result, a reluctance to openly acknowledge or discuss mental health challenges becomes prevalent, since they come across as a deviation from societal norms or familial expectations. The collective focus on external harmony has also led to the neglect of internal emotional struggles, reinforcing a cultural environment that inadvertently fosters a disregard for mental health concerns.
The blatant disregard to mental health, contrary to cultural belief, doesn’t just evaporate into the ether. Instead, it has far-reaching consequences, which Rosenberg’s experience illustrates in her article — “Hiding My Mental Illness from My Asian Family Almost Killed Me”. After endless days of shouldering her mental struggles alone, in addition to utter familial neglect and condemnation regarding her mental wellbeing, Rosenberg finally reached her last straw, resulting in an attempt to kill herself. Even at this vital moment, her mother refused to accept her struggles and instead, shut her out at a critical point of her life.
With that anecdote in mind, Rosenberg mentions that it is her belief both large and small-scale action should be taken. Her specific examples include the “Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act” and spreading personal journeys online respectively. To extend her argument, I believe there is a course of action that not only alleviates the issue, but potentially preempts stigma surrounding mental health to take place. In light of the fact that “mental health education is one of the best ways to increase awareness and encourage self-help seeking behaviour, while simultaneously reducing the stigma associated with mental health challenges”, governments should introduce educational initiatives that incorporate mental health education into curriculums beginning around middle school. Experts claim that middle school serves as a pivotal juncture where students start navigating the intricacies of self-identity and relationships, making it an optimal time to initiate mental health education. These initiatives should include components of general mental health education, such as mental health awareness, how to identify symptoms, and most fundamentally, how to lessen mental pressure through coping mechanisms. By introducing age-appropriate content, students are not only able to gain an objective understanding of mental wellbeing, but can further apply that understanding to combat the layers of mental health stigma that surround us all. Government-led educational initiatives will empower the younger generation to identify mental distress, combat stigma, and proactively engage in conversations about mental health. When successfully implemented, this strategic integration has the potential to set the stage for a future generation that is more emotionally intelligent and empathetically attuned to the wellbeing of themselves and their peers. These collective ideas all go hand in hand with de-stigmatizing mental health, since students gain early exposure to healthy conversations about mental health, which helps shape their beliefs in a positive manner. Not only this, but another benefit from starting at a young age means there is more leeway for stigma to be debunked, since the stigma would not be nearly as ingrained into children’s minds due to the shorter number of years they would have been introduced to those beliefs.
Furthermore, these initiatives should go hand in hand with mental health support directed by schools. Specifically, schools should emphasise that mental health is a school priority by providing an abundance of resources to assist students because research has established a link between higher access in school-based mental healthcare and lower rates of depression. For students who may already have existing mental health struggles yet are unable to open up at home due to fear of being criticised or shunned, the ability to access counselling and support could also be a determining factor in whether one lives or dies. With frequent endorsement of mental health resources, students will naturally be able to understand that mental health struggles are not to be taken lightly, and, contrary to cultural belief, are “permissible” problems to have. The constant welcoming energy surrounding these issues manifests into an increasingly open school environment in regards to mental health discussion, thus fostering a safe space for students who may not be able to experience that in their own homes.
Although this proposition does not exclusively target the Asian American community, the Asian American demographic will surely feel its effects due to its nationwide presence. From a governmental standpoint, it is near impossible to solely cater to Asian Americans due to the heterogeneity of the American population. However, in areas with high concentrations of Asian Americans, local governments could potentially place de-stigmatisation at the forefront of this educational initiative. For instance, educators could engage in cultural competence training so as to further empathise with students through an increased understanding of Asian cultural values and attitudes towards mental health. This is by no means a foolproof way of conveying the aims of this initiative to the Asian American population, but will hopefully lead to enhanced resonance within the community.
This one solution, however, is absolutely inadequate in the grand scheme of things. Even if such government initiatives are implemented, more action needs to be taken to foster a new Asian American generation that understands and empathises with mental health struggles, rather than ostracises and outcasts them. Education, though effective, should not be viewed in isolation but rather as part of a broader cultural shift towards compassion, empathy, and open dialogue surrounding mental well-being. By placing de-stigmatisation at the forefront of our concerns, we create an environment where individuals feel supported and encouraged to seek help without fear of judgement.
Lastly, to reiterate Rosenberg’s argument, I urge those who have navigated their own mental health struggles and feel comfortable sharing their experiences to shed light on their personal journeys. No matter how trivial you feel your story may be, you can never truly estimate the impact it can exert on someone’s life. Who knows, your seemingly insignificant story may just pull someone out for the better and help their life take a turn.
