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Heidi A Sauder, PHD

Let's Talk Asian Pacific American Heritage Month!

I wanted to dedicate the month of May’s blog post to acknowledging that it is Asian Pacific American Heritage month. This post mostly brings awareness to the mental health issues that AAPI communities face and how it might affect them with resources provided for those who may be seeking mental health services. Mental health resources are vital as ever especially with the rise in First, AAPI communities consist of over 50 ethnic groups with connections to Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, Hawaiian, and other Asian and Pacific Islander ancestries. With 6.1% of the U.S population identifying as Asian American or Pacific Islander, it is reported that 2.9 million people who do identify as AAPI have a mental illness.


Why are APPIs Not Receiving Mental Health Care?

The National Alliance of Mental Health has provided an array of barriers to mental health care for those who identify as AAPI. Lack of insurance coverage, immigration status, and treatment issues are just a few obstacles that get in the way of mental health services for AAPI Americans. Let’s discuss some other issues that this community faces. The language barrier is one big reason why it’s difficult for AAPI Americans to receive mental health treatment due to the lack of availability of linguistically appropriate providers in the field. Stigma and shame also play a role in why this group of people don’t receive the treatment they need. According to NAMI, AAPIs are the most likely out of all other racial and ethnic groups to deny mental health treatment because they don’t want others to find out or fear of negative reactions from peers. This can really take a toll on one’s mental health even further especially if fear of judgment and shame is added to the mix. The model minority myth is a harmful stereotype that also prevents folks in this community from seeking the proper mental health care that they need. It essentially states that AAPIs are a polite and successful minority group that holds more socioeconomic success than other minority groups. These high pressures and dangerous stereotypes can really affect AAPI Americans’ mental health.


Mental Health Resources for AAPI Communities National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association: https://www.naapimha.org/

  • Provides general resources

  • Mental health and behavioral services in all 50 states

  • COVID-19 resources

  • Racism and mental health

Asian American Psychological Association

  • Asian American psychology and mental health issues

  • Special interest in training and education of Asian American mental health professionals and collaborating and networking with their peers.

https://aapaonline.org/ National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance

  • Provides resources and education on current issues in LGBTQ+ AAPI communities

https://www.nqapia.org/wpp/ The Mental Health Coalition:

  • Informational brochure with a list of resources


References:  Asian American/Pacific Islander communities and Mental Health. Mental Health America. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.mhanational.org/issues/asian-americanpacific-islander-communities-and-mental-health Asian American & Pacific Islander - the mental health ... (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.thementalhealthcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/AAPI-MH- Resources_MHC-1.pdf Asian American and Pacific Islander. NAMI. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/Asian-American-and-Pacific-Islander Cherry, K. (2021, August 17). Mental Health Resources for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Verywell Mind. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind.com/mental-health-resources-for-asian-pacific-islander-communities-5116843 Home. Asian American Psychological Association. (2022, April 21). Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://aapaonline.org/ National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association. National Asian Ameri. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.naapimha.org/ Nqapia. (2021, June 30). A federation of LGBTQ Asian American, South Asian, Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander organizations. NQAPIA. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.nqapia.org/wpp/

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