TheXponential | Biyang Wang, LCSW
Mental Health Counseling | Global Consulting
Asian/Pacific American Mental Health
In order to understand the mental health challenges and treatment resources among the Asian and Pacific Americans, there are additional considerations including cultural norms, social expectations, education, and access to resources.
We gathered a list of resources below to help parents, caregivers, mental health providers, teachers, school administrators, and other allies better support the Asian/ Asian-American population. In addition, given the diversity of this group, we also refer to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders.
While many resources are focused on youths and young adults, the material is relevant for people of all stages of life, age, sexual orientation, immigrant status, genders, racial and cultural backgrounds, and all walks of life.
Covered Topics
Topics, Facts and Figures
Mental Health Status & Disparities
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health: Mental and Behavioral Health – Asian Americans
- Recovery.org: “A Guide to Drug Addiction and Recovery for Asian Americans”
COVID-19: Hate and Harassment Against Asian Americans
Organizations Addressing Impacts of COVID-19 on AA
- We Are Not A Virus: A movement to end the social stigma against Asians during COVID-19.
- Asian American Psychological Association
- Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
- Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC
- Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
- Boat People SOS
- National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association
- National Council of Asian Pacific Americans
- National Federation of Filipino American Association
- OCA National Center COVID19 Toolkit
- South Asian Americans Leading Together COVID19
- Southeast Asia Resource Action Center
- Veterans Health Administration
Reporting Hate Crimes
- STOP AAPI Hate Incident Reporting Center – Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council
- Report Harassment (incident report form) to Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council (English, Chinese, Korean, Korean, Thai, Japanese) http://www.asianpacificpolicyandplanningcouncil.org/stop-aapi-hate/
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) is calling for reports of racially-motivated hate incidents/crimes.
- Asian Pacific American Advocates (OCA) records incidents of anti-AAPI hate incidents/crimes.
- The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is collecting and recording reports of hate incidents/crimes.
- Stand Against Hatred is a website run by Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
- The #IAMNOTAVIRUS campaign is a photography and storytelling series which challenges negative perceptions of AAPI individuals surrounding the COVID-19 crisis. You can request an appointment to share your story, be photographed, or report a hate incident to the campaign.
- Harvard University’s “Resources for Asian and AAPI Students Experiencing COVID-19 Related Harassment”
Treatment Resources
Asian American & Pacific Islander Organizations
Thank you to resources provided by the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association
- Asian American Institute at Chicago
- Asian American Journalists Association
- Asian American Justice Center
- Asian American Psychological Association
- Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy
- Asian Community Online Network
- Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies
- Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
- Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association
- Asian Pacific American Women’s Leadership Institute
- Asian Pacific Environmental Network
- Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum
- Asian Women in Business
- Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
- Chinese-American Mental Health Network
- Coalition of Asian Pacific American Federal Employee Organizations
- Committee of 100
- Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
- Japanese American Citizens League
- Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics
- National Asian American Telecommunications Association
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
- National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse, Inc.
- National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
- National Asian Pacific Center on Aging
- National Asian Women’s Health Organization
- National Association of Korean Americans
- National Council of Asian Pacific Americans
- National Federation of Filipino American Associations
- National Korean American Service and Education Consortium
- National Research Center on Asian American Mental Health
- Organization of Chinese American Women
- Organization of Chinese Americans, Inc.
- South Asian Americans Leading Together
- Southeast Asia Resource Action Center
Federal
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Mental Health Resources and Treatment Providers
- A Comprehensive Spreadsheet of Mental health and behavioral services for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in all 50 States (NAAPIMHA)
- National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA): NAAPIMHA’s mission is to promote the mental health and well being of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
- National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA): The national victim assistance organization that provides resources, assistance and support for victims harmed by crime and crisis. Call 1-800-TRY-NOVA (879-6682).
- South Asian Network (SAN) offers free and low-cost individual, group, and family counseling. They will also provide referrals to other mental health professionals.
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free, confidential, 24/7 support for people in distress, as well as provides crisis resources and best practices for professionals. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
- SAMHSA’s National Helpline (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration): SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Recommended Research Articles
Note: Articles are listed in chronological order
Barriers To Treatment
- Fong, T. W., & Tsuang, J. (2007). Asian-americans, addictions, and barriers to treatment. Psychiatry (Edgmont (Pa. : Township)), 4(11), 51–59.
- Yu, J., Clark, L. P., Chandra, L., Dias, A., & Lai, T. F. M. (2009). Reducing cultural barriers to substance abuse treatment among Asian Americans: A case study in New York City. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 37(4), 398-406.
Racial / Ethnic Socialization of Asian American Children
- Cultural Socialization in Families with Internationally Adopted Children (Lee et al., 2006)
- Cultural Socialization in Families With Adopted Korean Adolescents: A Mixed-Method, Multi-informant Study (Kim et al., 2012)
- Race–Ethnicity and Culture in the Family and Youth Outcomes: Test of a Path Model with Korean American Youth and Parents (Choi et al., 2014)
- Ethnic Socialization and Ethnic Identity Development Among Internationally Adopted Korean American Adolescents: A Seven-year Follow-up (Hu et al., 2017)
- Reactive and Proactive Ethnic–Racial Socialization Practices of Second-Generation Asian American Parents (Juang et al., 2018) [Full text]
- Korean Adoptees as Parents: Intergenerationality of Ethnic, Racial, and Adoption Socialization (Zhou et al., 2020)
- Ethnic–Racial Socialization in the Family: A Decade’s Advance on Precursors and Outcomes (Umaña-Taylor & Hill, 2020) [Open Access]
Impacts on Childhood Development
- Where Are You from? A Validation of the Foreigner Objectification Scale and the Psychological Correlates of Foreigner Objectification Among Asian Americans and Latinos (Armenta et al., 2013)
- Placing Asian American Child Development Within Historical Context (Kiang et al., 2016)
- Theory and Measurement of Foreigner Objectification (Lee et al., 2017)
- Foreigner Objectification, Cultural Assets, and Psychological Adjustment in Asian American College Students (Wu et al., 2020)
- Asian American mental health: Longitudinal trend and explanatory factors among young Filipino- and Korean Americans (Choi et al., 2020) [Open Access]
- Explaining the Asian American Youth Paradox: Universal Factors versus Asian American Family Process Among Filipino and Korean American Youth (Choi et al., 2020)
Macro-Level Dialogue and Action
Structural Racism & Medicine
- Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Statement on Police Brutality and Racism in America and Their Impact on Health, June 1, now endorsed by APA, AADPRT, Association for Academic Psychiatry, Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry, American Association of Chairs of Departments of Psychiatry, American College of Psychiatrists
- AAMC Press Conference: Racism and Health: How and Where to Make Changes, June 12
- AAMC MedEd PORTAL Anti-Racism in Medicine Collection and Diversity, Inclusion, and Health Equity Collection
Additional Organizations
- National Network to Eliminate Disparities (NNED)
- The Disparities Solutions Center of Massachusetts General Hospital special website on Equity in the COVID-19 Response in multiple Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian languages.