Asian American Mental Health Issues

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people suffer from depression, trauma because of discrimination faced and the cultural difficulties, it seems clear that those are the major causes of mental health issues. In the article “Community mental health allies: Referral behavior among asian american Immigrant christian clergy,” Yamada, Lee, and Kim argue that mental health resources are underutilized among Asian-Americans, because of cultural attitudes. "Lack of access, high regard for one’s social status, and stigmatized attitudes that reflect negatively on the patient, family, and entire social network may contribute to a tendency for Asian American immigrants to seek help from family and community support systems in lieu of specialty community mental health care services” (Yamanda, …show more content…

The center provided mental health care services to 550 clients for 2,560 counseling hours in 2013, and 383 clients for 809 counseling hours in 2012 (“Annual Reports”, 2014). According to Kwok, about 8.6% of local, Rogers Park Asian Americans utilize the professional mental health care services available to them; nationwide, 17.9% of Americans utilize mental health care services (Kwok, 2013). The data from the Hamdard Center and research articles suggests that it takes diligent effort to encourage Asian Americans to feel comfortable utilizing those services. The mental health workers must research and understand what is keeping Asian Americans from reaching out. The same issues that keep Asian Americans from reaching out for help from mental health centers are the issues that could be potentially resolved through mental health …show more content…

After all, mental problems are a result of many causes such as discrimination, language barriers, cultural adjustment, and relation conflicts among family members. The first program should be English language classes, as well as guidance in adapting to a new cultural environment. The majority of first-generation Asian-American immigrants do not learn the English language until they come to the US. Lack of language skills results in difficulty finding a job and meeting financial needs, both of which lead to high levels of stress. So, providing the opportunity to learn English with a bilingual instructor and guidance from people who has had to adjust them reduces stress among the new immigrants significantly. Another program should be bilingual / multilingual relationship counseling because many people suffer from mental issues due to marital problems or intergenerational conflicts. In this new environment, many immigrants fail to understand the necessity to support their spouse or other family members, due to the freedom they perceive after coming to the US. For example, teenagers attempting to pursue higher education may fail to support their parents financially and emotionally, as the new generation might stay focused on their own career goals and newly broadened horizons. As a result, parents might have higher stress levels, feeling distanced from their children or unsupported financially; coming from a

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