The South Asian community does not normalize mental health problems, nor does it normalize access to mental healthcare. More so, such care is a luxury, and there are many logistical barriers to access. Even if one were to finally reach out to a therapist, there is still an immense stigma surrounding mental health which deters people. On top of that, it is hard to find someone who the patient clicks with. Therefore, the alternative to seeing a doctor for tangibly treatable ailments appears to be much easier and is more accepted, as a result.
This says a lot about the South Asian American immigrant community. Many South Asian American immigrants came to the UK or the US as professionals. As a result, even within our South Asian communities, we hold ourselves accountable to the model minority myth. Doing a profession within healthcare that is anything other than being a medical doctor invites scrutiny and judgement.
Most concerning has been the lack of such public provisions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even if people had insurance, it was very difficult to make an appointment with a therapist (let alone with a therapist from a similar background), regardless of whether they had the means or not. As a result, there was also an increase in children and adolescents visiting ERs after attempting suicide.
All is not doom and gloom, however. First, it is important to take this important conversation forward and ensure it continues. To get the momentum going, a social justice policy framework should be created to guide the conversation. Second, there must be active contact with legislators and directors of mental health programs to help with advocacy.
Read more at AsAmNews.com.
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