What biases do Asian Americans have on mental health and what can be done to unlearn them so that they can easier access mental health care?

by

by : 
Yasmin F.

Summary

Accessing mental health resources, especially for students and minors, is difficult. In Asian American families, there is a lot of negative stigma and biases regarding mental health in the older generations. These stigmas can often discourage people from this demographic from seeking help and treatment for mental health issues (Nishi, 2012). There are many reasons someone may need access to mental health resources, one example being the effects of the model minority myth stereotype on Asian Americans, as discovered by a research project conducted last year. Many mental health resources exist, but minors need a legal guardian to access them. This project will look into previous experiences Asian American students have had with mental health, search for help and analyze how to make resources more accessible.