Concerns about Suicide among Asian Americans: The Need for Outreach?

Social Work ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-122
Author(s):  
Carol A Leung
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Mental Health Awareness ◽  
Point Rating Scale

Abstract Suicide was the ninth leading cause of death for Asian Americans in 2017. The growth of Asian American populations has led to more discussions about suicide prevention efforts. A 128-item needs assessment survey was administered at cultural events in 10 predominantly immigrant Asian communities. In five years, 1,840 respondents (61 percent response rate) filled out the survey anonymously to express their health and mental health concerns. This study aims to identify factors and help-seeking behaviors associated with having suicidal concerns among Asian Americans in various subgroups. Among the respondents, 1,314 rated the intensity of their concerns about suicide with an average of 0.74 (SD = 1.11) on a four-point rating scale in that 13.7 percent rated their concerns as severe. Taiwanese respondents expressed the highest intensity score (1.09) compared with other ethnic groups (from 0.29 to 1.04). A logistic regression analysis found that each unit of health concerns on a four-point rating scale significantly increases the likelihood of suicide concerns by 46 times among Asian Americans. Consistent with previous studies, immigrants were likely to share mental health problems with friends and physicians. Effective suicide prevention requires mental health awareness programming for the Asian American community.

scholarly journals Help Seeking Behavior in a Diverse Sample of Asian American Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Nguyen ◽  
Rosalie Corona ◽  
Matthew Peter DeCarlo ◽  
Anna Yaros ◽  
Anh Thuy Le ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Help Seeking Behavior ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Seeking Behavior

We sought to characterize the help-seeking behavior of Asian Americans living in a Southeastern community in the U.S. by examining different types of services sought, help-seeking preferences, and how demographic characteristics and mental health problems (including domestic violence) predicted these behaviors. 610 Asian Americans (mean age = 39.43 years; 59.6% female; 75% immigrants) completed an anonymous, community survey that included measures of different types of help-seeking behaviors and preferences, mental health symptoms, and exposure to domestic violence. The two most-frequently help-seeking behaviors included seeking advice from friends, family members, or relatives (66.7%), and visiting a medical doctor (46.4%).  In logistic regression models, older age, sex, immigrant status and symptomatic depression predicted different types of help-seeking behaviors and preferences. Neither domestic violence experience or symptomatic anxiety significantly predicted help-seeking.

Asians and the Myth of the Model Minority in Higher Education

2016 ◽  
pp. 447-468
Author(s):  
Ronn Johnson ◽  
Ji Youn Cindy Kim ◽  
Jojo Yanki Lee
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Native Americans ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Model Minority ◽  
Help Seeking Behavior ◽  
Dominant Culture ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Seeking Behavior

When compared with African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans, Asian are often attributed more positive attributions from the dominant culture. The developed stereotype, Myth of the Model Minority (MMM), suggests Asian Americans achieve a higher degree of success than the general population. Under the internalized assumption of being psychologically trouble free, the MMM stereotype contributes to Asians being less inclined to proactively engage in help seeking behavior despite the presence of severe mental health concerns. Psychocultural examples relating to Asian Americans (e.g., Virginia Tech Shooter case) are reviewed to form a clinical and forensic psychological framework that offers a challenge as to why the MMM is problematic in higher education. The myths related to MMM and the experiences—positive or negative—of MMM are analyzed to encourage subsequent empirically-based applications for addressing MMM as well as serving as a caveat against using monocausal explanations or other thumbnail assessments of Asian American behavior in higher education.

Asians and the Myth of the Model Minority in Higher Education

2016 ◽  
pp. 38-59
Author(s):  
Ronn Johnson ◽  
Ji Youn Cindy Kim ◽  
Jojo Yanki Lee
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Native Americans ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Model Minority ◽  
Help Seeking Behavior ◽  
Dominant Culture ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Seeking Behavior

When compared with African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans, Asian are often attributed more positive attributions from the dominant culture. The developed stereotype, Myth of the Model Minority (MMM), suggests Asian Americans achieve a higher degree of success than the general population. Under the internalized assumption of being psychologically trouble free, the MMM stereotype contributes to Asians being less inclined to proactively engage in help seeking behavior despite the presence of severe mental health concerns. Psychocultural examples relating to Asian Americans (e.g., Virginia Tech Shooter case) are reviewed to form a clinical and forensic psychological framework that offers a challenge as to why the MMM is problematic in higher education. The myths related to MMM and the experiences—positive or negative—of MMM are analyzed to encourage subsequent empirically-based applications for addressing MMM as well as serving as a caveat against using monocausal explanations or other thumbnail assessments of Asian American behavior in higher education.

scholarly journals Help-Seeking Behaviors of Transition-Aged Youth for Mental Health Concerns: Qualitative Study

10.2196/18514 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. e18514
Author(s):  
Chelsea Stunden ◽  
Julie Zasada ◽  
Nicole VanHeerwaarden ◽  
Elisa Hollenberg ◽  
Alexxa Abi-Jaoudé ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
Sources Of Support ◽  
Mental Health Concerns

Background Transition-aged youth are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems, yet they are one of the least likely demographic groups to seek help. Objective The aim of this study is to explore the influences on and patterns in help-seeking for mental health concerns among transition-aged youth who attend postsecondary schools in Canada. Methods A qualitative research design was used, involving 12 semistructured focus groups with transition-aged youth (17-29 years) who attended postsecondary schools in Canada. A thematic analysis was conducted to code the transcripts and develop themes. Results Four main themes and subthemes regarding the process and experience of help-seeking were generated: (1) the influence of formal service providers (accessibility and experiences), (2) the influence of social factors (system navigation and stigma), (3) the influence of health literacy (symptom recognition, acting on symptoms, digital tools and the internet, and mental health awareness campaigns), and (4) the influence of low-intensity sources of support, namely, self-help. Conclusions Transition-aged youth seek help for mental health problems in different ways. Despite efforts to improve access to mental health services, transition-aged youth continue to face barriers to accessing these services, especially formal sources of support. The factors identified in this study that either hinder or facilitate help-seeking have pragmatic implications for developing help-seeking interventions and delivering mental health services for this population. In addition to other facilitators, family physicians are an important resource in the help-seeking process. Furthermore, digital help-seeking tools have unique characteristics that may make them an important source of support for transition-aged youth.

scholarly journals “It’s still taboo”: Help-seeking behaviors of transition-aged youth for mental health concerns – a qualitative study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea Stunden ◽  
Julie Zasada ◽  
Nicole VanHeerwaarden ◽  
Elisa Hollenberg ◽  
Alexxa Abi-Jaoude ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Sources Of Support ◽  
Mental Health Concerns

BACKGROUND Transition-aged youth are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems, yet they are one of the least likely demographic groups to seek help. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore influences on and patterns in help-seeking for mental health concerns among transition-aged youth who attend post-secondary school in Canada. METHODS A qualitative research design was used, involving 12 semi-structured focus groups with transition-aged youth (17–29 years) attending Canadian post-secondary schools. Thematic analysis was conducted to code the transcripts and develop themes. RESULTS Four main themes and sub-themes regarding the process and experience of help-seeking were generated: (1) the influence of formal service providers (accessibility; experiences); (2) the influence of social factors (system navigation; stigma); (3) the influence of health literacy (symptom recognition; acting on symptoms; digital tools and the internet; mental health awareness campaigns); and (4) the influence of low-intensity sources of support, namely self-help. CONCLUSIONS Transition-aged youth seek help for mental health problems in different ways. Despite efforts to improve access to mental health services, transition-aged youth continue to face barriers to accessing these services, especially formal sources of support. Factors identified in this study that either hinder or facilitate help-seeking have pragmatic implications for developing help-seeking interventions and delivering mental health services for this population. In addition to other facilitators, family physicians are an important resource in the help-seeking process. Moreover, digital help-seeking tools have unique characteristics that may make these tools an important source of support for transition-aged youth. CLINICALTRIAL

scholarly journals Parental help-seeking in primary care for child and adolescent mental health concerns: qualitative study

2010 ◽  
Vol 197 (6) ◽  
pp. 476-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kapil Sayal ◽  
Victoria Tischler ◽  
Caroline Coope ◽  
Sarah Robotham ◽  
Mark Ashworth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health ◽  
Child And Adolescent ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Behavioural Difficulties ◽  
Mental Health Concerns

BackgroundChild and adolescent mental health problems are common in primary care. However, few parents of children with mental health problems express concerns about these problems during consultations.AimsTo explore the factors influencing parental help-seeking for children with emotional or behavioural difficulties.MethodFocus group discussions with 34 parents from non-specialist community settings who had concerns about their child's mental health. All groups were followed by validation groups or semi-structured interviews.ResultsMost children had clinically significant mental health symptoms or associated impairment in function. Appointment systems were a key barrier, as many parents felt that short appointments did not allow sufficient time to address their child's difficulties. Continuity of care and trusting relationships with general practitioners (GPs) who validated their concerns were perceived to facilitate help-seeking. Parents valued GPs who showed an interest in their child and family situation. Barriers to seeking help included embarrassment, stigma of mental health problems, and concerns about being labelled or receiving a diagnosis. Some parents were concerned about being judged a poor parent and their child being removed from the family should they seek help.ConclusionsPrimary healthcare is a key resource for children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties and their families. Primary care services should be able to provide ready access to health professionals with an interest in children and families and appointments of sufficient length so that parents feel able to discuss their mental health concerns.

scholarly journals The Perceived Stigma Reduction Expressed by Young Adults in Response to Suicide Prevention Videos

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6180
Author(s):  
Sarah Keller ◽  
Vanessa McNeill ◽  
Tan Tran
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Meaningful Change ◽  
Stigma Reduction ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Individual Level

Evidence indicates that stigma impedes an individual’s chance of seeking professional help for a mental health crisis. Commonly reported aggregate-level results for stigma-reduction efforts obfuscate how much stigma reduction is needed to incur a practically meaningful change within an individual, defined here as an attitudinal shift and openness towards seeking mental health for oneself and/or support for others. When basing conclusions and recommendations about stigma-reducing interventions on aggregate scales, it is unclear how much stigma reduction is needed to incur meaningful change within an individual. We explored the impact of reductions in stigma of help-seeking scores in response to an online suicide prevention video among young adults in the United States, using online surveys to collect qualitative and quantitative data. We compared mean changes in the stigma scores from pre- to post-test (video exposure) of 371 young U.S. adults using standard t-tests and individual level analysis. A separate thematic analysis of free-text responses was also conducted from a smaller, randomly-selected subgroup, capturing individuals’ attitudes towards help-seeking for mental health problems. Great attention was given to participants to ensure that they were in a campus setting where counseling services were available. Four main themes emerged: (1) small changes in stigma scores were associated with individual reports of meaningful reductions in their attitudes towards professional counseling; (2) increased empathy towards victims of suicide and other mental health problems sometimes indicated increased empathy for victims of suicide and decreased openness in professional help; (3) empathy towards victims sometimes took the form of increased scores and grief or sadness, possibly thwarting the potential for help-seeking; and (4) self-reports of decreased stigma were not always associated with increased openness towards help-seeking. Results also indicated that small stigma score charges, not meeting statistical significance, were often associated with increased openness towards seeking help. These findings, discovered using mixed-methods, contribute to the body of literature regarding stigma towards suicide and help-seeking by demonstrating deficits in the aggregate-only analysis of stigma-reducing interventions specifically aimed at suicide prevention. Such individuation in stigma experiences indicates that public education on how to reduce the stigma of help-seeking for suicide prevention needs to consider individual-level analyses for improving target populations. Recommendations for future research include additional studies prior to releasing suicide prevention videos to public forums where they may be seen by individuals without access to help.

scholarly journals Inclusiveness of the Concept of Mental Disorder and Differences in Help-Seeking Between Asian and White Americans

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse S. Y. Tse ◽  
Nick Haslam
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Asian American ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
White Americans ◽  
Clinical Practices ◽  
Help Seeking Attitudes

Ethnic and racial group differences in help-seeking are a barrier to the effective and equitable delivery of mental health services. Asian American populations demonstrate relatively low levels of help-seeking. Explanations for this effect typically point to elevated levels of stigma in these populations. An alternative explanation is that low help-seeking might also reflect holding a relatively circumscribed concept of mental disorder. Individuals and groups with less inclusive concepts of disorder may be less likely to identify problems as appropriate for mental health treatment. This study aimed to test whether group differences in the breadth of the mental disorder concept account for group differences in help-seeking attitudes. A sample of 212 American participants (102 Asian Americans and 110 White Americans) were assessed on personal stigma, help-seeking attitudes, and mental disorder concept breadth. Mediation analyses examined whether stigma and concept breadth mediated group differences in attitudes. Compared to White Americans, Asian Americans reported higher levels of stigma and narrower concepts of mental disorder, both of which were associated with less positive help-seeking attitudes. Stigma and concept breadth both partially mediated the group difference in attitudes. Theoretical and practical implications for mental health promotion and culturally sensitive clinical practices are explored.

Prevalence of Mental Health Problems and Help-Seeking Behavior in a Hispanic-Serving Institution

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsiu-Lan Cheng ◽  
Richard Martinez ◽  
Jessica L. Jackson ◽  
Casey N. Durham ◽  
Jill K. Peters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Help Seeking Behavior ◽  
Hispanic Serving Institution ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Hispanic Serving

Investigation of the “alternative” effects of an online support group for mental health problems among Japanese adults: A cross-sectional study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osamu Kobori ◽  
Naoki Yoshinaga
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Online Support ◽  
Online Support Groups ◽  
Online Support Group ◽  
Usage Frequency

BACKGROUND Owing to the rapid development of social networking services, online support groups vary widely both in goal and structure. Several studies have shown the potential effectiveness of online support groups, such as reducing psychological distress (eg depression) among individuals with mental health problems. However, online support groups often do not aim at effectiveness regarding distress-relief-related outcomes. OBJECTIVE The U2plus.jp (hereinafter U2plus) is an online support group for individuals with depression; in it, people support each other in structured ways while engaging in simple cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) exercises. This study aimed to examine if usage frequency of the U2plus functions are associated with decreased stigma and increased consumer. METHODS In total, 355 U2plus users took part in an online survey. They were asked what therapy they had ever received, how often they logged into it and used each of its functions, and completed the following questionnaires: The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Perceived Devaluation Discrimination Scale, and the General Help Seeking Scale. RESULTS Regarding the therapy they received, 89.3% (n=308) had been on medication for mental health problems, and 67.5% (n=233) had received psychotherapy or mental health counselling. Regarding the usage frequency, approximately 20% of the participants signed in to U2plus and used its functions more than once a week. The usage frequency of U2plus functions was not associated with perceived stigma. However, usage frequency of some functions was correlated to help seeking intentions from formal sources (eg doctors and psychologists). Moreover, 90% of the participants had a history of medication for their mental health. Additionally, the more depressed participants were, the more frequently they used U2plus. CONCLUSIONS It was suggested that online support groups may serve as an alternative treatment option for those who are already undergoing pharmacological treatment and are willing to seek help from whatever source they deem helpful.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document