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Asian Americans’ psychological state over the last few years has been one of hypervigilance and pretending — constantly having to act as if everything is “business as usual” even amid high-profile anti-Asian attacks and the aftereffects of collective trauma, health advocates and experts tell Axios.

Though Asian Americans have always faced racism in the U.S., the spike in anti-Asian hate of the last few years has brought on a crisis of its own. Now, with the two-year anniversary of the Atlanta spa shootings casting a long shadow, data shows that the longer-term impacts of living in a state of heightened fear are emerging.

People often assume that Asian Americans don’t need support systems due to “remnants of the model minority myth that are still so prevalent in today’s society,” said Sy Stokes, the vice president of research at the nonprofit research thinktank Coqual. But as Asian Americans across the country continue to grapple with acts of violence, many say cracks are appearing in ways that are interfering with their ability to live their everyday lives.

“I don’t think we’ve yet to contend with what that meant … like feeling like I can’t leave my house or go to the grocery store without being afraid that someone is going to say something or assault me,” Theresa Nguyen, the nonprofit Mental Health America’s chief research officer, told Axios.

Read more at Axios.com.

Suicide rates rising among Black boys and men is a hard conversation to have, seemingly harder if the answer requires more money to Black organizations to provide community-based resources, and the political will to get it done.

Mental health providers are calling on community participation to shed light on some of the reasons why suicide is ticking up in the Black community, as the number of white people dying by suicide is decreasing.

Health advocate Linda Hart said many high-profile cases in the entertainment industry are sounding the alarm on a serious issue that has been unfolding in the Black community over the past decade. She said more targeted help is needed to stop the tragic trend.

Hart reaches about 1,500 annually with unduplicated contacts in Riverside County’s Black community where she holds in-person mental health presentations. But in San Bernardino County where she lives, and in areas across the state, she said the Black community is estranged from outreach workers who look like them.

Part of her focus this year is reaching families for multi-generational impact. She commended Riverside County for taking strong steps to support racially relevant programs, and MSA funds and RFP process for all communities.

Read more at PrecinctReporter.com.

In modern society, mental health has become an easier topic to discuss and an important conversation in households. But, in minority households, mental health is still a taboo topic, specifically in Hispanic families due to stigmas around the topic. Speaking about one’s mental health can result in embarrassment and shame from family members, leading less people to seek the help they need.

Several factors add to the stigmatism around mental health and mental illness in Hispanic culture. The lack of access of information in Spanish or other dialects is a big barrier to getting the mental health help necessary. When there is a lack of understanding or resources for serious topics, it can lead to difficulty to get the help needed. Also, the lack of affordable healthcare or being uninsured is an even bigger issue in the United States. According to gpf.org, Nearly 30 million Americans are uninsured and of that number 18.3% are Hispanic, resulting in Hispanics being the biggest group of uninsured people of color.

Another big factor causing this issue are gender roles within the culture, such as machismo and marianismo. Machismo is the concept of being extensively manly, based on courage and power. This concept motivates men to be aggressive and show dominance. Machismo is prominent in Hispanic culture and promotes toxic masculinity. Marianismo is the concept of submissiveness and hyper femininity. The concept has been pushed on women to accept machismo. Both concepts have exposed families to toxicity in the household. These concepts also require those to be strong and keep feelings to themselves, resulting in the lack of speaking out about emotions and seeking the help that is needed.

Read more at RHSShield.org.

Menominee County has the highest overdose death rate in all of Wisconsin, according to statewide overdose death data. In 2022, the tribe saw 16 overdose deaths — its highest number on record.

The Menominee Indian Tribe is not the only tribe dealing with this issue. Wisconsin Department of Health Services Director of Opioid Initiatives Paul Krupski said the 12 tribal nations across the state have the highest overdose rate of any population.

“When we look at data, our tribal nations are disproportionately impacted by the opioid crisis in our state,” Krupski said during a February press conference.

A 2022 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also found national overdose death rates increased 39 percent for American Indians from 2019 to 2020. That trend isn’t slowing down, according to the CDC.

But with a renewed focus on the issue, Menominee tribal leaders are hoping to put an end to the deaths.

Three sudden overdose deaths at the start of 2022 led to an emergency meeting in March of that year and the creation of the team. Nearly a year later, representatives from tribal leadership, law enforcement, and health services are still working to tackle the issue.

Read more at WPR.org.

In order to highlight pockets of excellence across the country, the NNED selects a partner organization to highlight once a month. Vista Del Mar has been selected as the Partner of the Month for April in recognition of National Minority Health Month.

Vista Del Mar improves the mental health and well-being of children and families by providing specialized and therapeutic services. The organization is an innovative leader in educational, mental health, autism, adoptions and early intervention services.

Some of the programs and services that are currently offered:

• Intensive Residential Treatment
• Counseling for Foster Care Youth
• Play Therapy
• Family Therapy
• Psycho-Educational Assessments
• Early Head Start Program

Learn more about Vista Del Mar and its mission to provide a trauma-responsive continuum of services to empower children, youth, and families in Southern California to lead fulfilling lives.

View a list of previous NNED Partners of the Month.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, depression and PTSD are also among the most common mental health concerns for veterans. They estimate about 15 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD. They are also at a higher risk for addiction with roughly 20 percent believed to turn to drugs and alcohol within the first three months of returning home.

The Department of Veteran Affairs is hoping to make resources more available for people struggling with their mental health.

“Really it’s more about just education and more access to veterans, specifically when it comes to suicide prevention and veterans in crisis,” Johnathan Elliott from the Olin Teague VA Hospital in Temple said.

Starting January 2023, veterans now have access to free emergency mental health care at any VA hospital or clinic.

“A lot of times community hospitals, there were questions and different things along those lines,” Elliott explained. “Now it’s really just getting them in, assessed and able to move forward or at least on the right track.”

The department estimates of the roughly 18 million veterans living in America only half are enrolled in their benefits. This new policy will cover all veterans, even those who aren’t enrolled.

Read more at KXXV.com.