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Biracial Asian Americans And Mental Health

Biracial Asian Americans And Mental Health
Issues Related to Race

Biracial Asian Americans are twice as likely as monoracial Asian Americans to have been diagnosed with a psychological disorder, UC Davis researchers report.
Source: ScienceDaily: Racial Issues News

Health Mental Americans Asian Biracial

From my experiences in mental health I would suspect the reason for this study outcome is cultural biases rather than the biracial influence. I have found that many Asians generally stigmatize mental illness more so than non-Asians, particularly immigrant Asians. They often look at mental illness as a character flaw or sometimes even a possession by evil spirits. When they are diagnosed and admitted to the hospital it is often after they have decompensated to the point where law enforcement has intervened and brought them in. The family will usually attempt to hide the illness and see it as a source of shame. Patients I have worked with who are Asian with traditional Asian values are less likely to follow up with treatment once released from the hospital.

I have a current patient who is Cambodian and diagnosed with schizophrenia. He believes the voices he hears are devils and wants us to help him cast them out.