When addressing mental health amongst AAPI communities, nuanced care goes beyond overcoming linguistic barriers, moving towards understanding cultural norms that can powerfully affect attitudes towards mental health.
According to The Asian American Federation’s “Seeking Help, Finding Hope: mental health challenges and solutions for Asian Americans in New York City” study, a majority of Asian American New Yorkers struggle with anxiety and feelings of isolation, yet remain reluctant to seek treatment.
One of the driving forces behind this mental health decline stems from the stress of high living costs, as one third of AAPI New Yorkers are low-income, an often underrepresented figure given widespread assumptions of AAPI New Yorkers as high achievers. Stereotypes such as the model minority myth have added to these pressures, further stressing and isolating struggling individuals.
Through their ability to nimbly address the nuanced elements of support, community-based organizations are equipped to bridge gaps in AAPI mental healthcare. AAF’s mental health roundtable aims to encourage policymakers to increase support in community-based organizations through robust funding and investments in a linguistically and culturally competent mental healthcare workforce. Additionally, through the organization’s AAF Mental Health Directory, AAPI community members can find clinical and non-clinical mental health providers tailored to their needs. The first database of its kind, the directory aims to bridge gaps in access by connecting patients to a wealth of underutilized resources.
Read more at NYNMedia.com.
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