Asian American Women: Mental Health Analysis

Mental Health in Asian American Women

Throughout the subpopulation of Asian American women, many of them suffer from mental health challenges, however, this is a population that is often overlooked in society due to their reputation of being over-achievers and highly successful academically. Asian American women suffer from numerous mental health disorders and this population requires more attention due to the underutilization of mental health services that are sought out by them compared to other ethnic groups in America. This literacy review has covered topics such as mental health challenges Asian American women face and the statistics that show how and why they suffer so extremely compared to other women of different backgrounds. There are various reasons Asian American women hesitate or have difficulty seeking mental health services and that issue is also addressed. It is important to shine a light on the subpopulation of Asian American women because a vast majority of them suffer in silence and require adequate resources.

Literary Review

Compared to women from different ethnic backgrounds in the United States of America, Asian American women between the ages of 18-35 have higher suicide ideation and attempt rate. Many factors have contributed to this such as parenting style, family conflict, and cultural factors (Augsberger et al., 2018). Finding the age gap that is most affected by mental illness throughout this population will help raise awareness so the proper resources can be directed to them. Augsberger et al. (2018) stated in the Asian American culture, there is a cultural emphasis on interdependence and studies have shown that more than 50% of Asian Americans who have had family issues in the past have attempted suicide at least once in their lifetime. Among the subgroup of Asian Americans, young Asian American women have the highest risk of suffering from mental health illnesses (Appel, Huang, Ai, Lin, 2011). Compared to other ethnic groups in America, Asian American women have the second-highest suicide rate among females in the United States, and the incidence of suicide from 2000 and 2009 unfortunately increased by 100% during this time frame (Augsberger, Yeung, Dougher, Hahm, 2015). Asian American women are a subpopulation that is often overlooked in the mental health field even though many suffer from mental illness that has led to suicide.

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Another factor that has shown to contribute to the mental health of Asian American women is childhood maltreatment such as physical and sexual abuse and exposure to violence as a child or adolescent (Lee, Choi, 2018). Results have shown that Asian women who experienced sexual abuse and were exposed to violence as a child, had a higher chance of developing depressive and anxiety disorders in adulthood. Childhood physical abuse increased the chance of developing depressive disorder but not an anxiety disorder (Lee, Choi, 2018). When a person experiences trauma or abuse in their childhood this can very well cause mental health challenges as they enter adulthood. It is important to take into consideration a person’s childhood trauma and abuse when treating mental health illness to help the person heal in the best way possible. Therefore, it is also important to consider that because there are diverse backgrounds in ethnicity throughout Asia, some Asian Americans have reported a higher prevalence of mental health challenges than others. For example, South Asians reported fewer cases of anxiety and substance abuse disorders compared to other Asian Americans and other reports indicated Asian Americans who were born in Asia had higher levels of depression than Asian Americans who were born in the United States (Lee, Choi, 2018). This information portrays the significant influence that cultural and demographics can have and how it can negatively affect mental health in Asian American women.

Another cause of mental health challenges in Asian American women is sexual objectification which has shown to cause various mental health issues such as depression, eating disorders, and sexual dysfunction (Cheng, Youngji Kim, 2018). When women especially, have the expectation to portray themselves a certain way, it has affected the way they look at themselves and their bodies. Throughout history up until today, the female body of Asian American women has been objectified throughout the media such as movies and television shows portraying Asian American women as a white man’s property and accessory. Dating websites have also reduced Asian American women as sexual servants who are viewed as submissive and exotic (Keum et al., 2018). The portrayal of Asian American women in the media has left them feeling vulnerable and feeling their only purpose is to please men and their sexual needs. This population has reported the least satisfaction with their bodies compared to other ethnic groups, especially with facial features such as the eyes and nose as well as their height and breasts (Cheng, Youngju Kim, 2018). The constant comparison and expectation to look a certain way has harmed the image Asian American women have of themselves and have begun to feel they are not good enough or have not lived up to society’s standards.

Previous studies have indicated that some Asian American women focus less on their weight and more on the shape of their body because they have a higher expectation to be thinner compared to European Americans, therefore, this has led to a higher risk of eating disorders throughout this population. Family dynamics, ways of coping with stress, and the expectation to overachieve are some of the common factors that have led to eating disorders according to a study that was conducted by mental health professionals (Smart, Tsong, Mejia, Hayashino, Braaten, 2011). Since Asian American women tend to have a smaller body size and because they are a population that is viewed as having little psychological challenges, they are less likely to be referred for evaluation of eating disorders compared to other American women (Cheng, Tran, Miyake, Kin, 2017). It is important to recognize that this population faces the issue of eating disorders so more attention can be drawn to them and they can receive the proper help they require in this area. Having an eating disorder is not only detrimental to a person’s mental health but also their physical health.

Asian Americans are less likely to seek help for mental health issues compared to European Americans due to several factors such as insurance issues, language barriers, lack of time, and a concern of confidentiality. Asian Americans have also reported low satisfaction with the healthcare system in America and have had reported negative experiences with healthcare providers (Appel, Huang, Ai, Lin, 2011). The importance of having access to a safe and comfortable place to seek mental health services should be accessible to anyone regardless of their cultural background. It is important to understand the reasons Asian American women hesitate or are unable to utilize mental health services so they can be better accommodated and understood in the future. There is also a community and family stigma attached to seeking mental health services throughout the Asian culture which has prevented some of those suffering from reaching out for help (Augsberger et al., 2015).

There is a cultural difference that must be taken into account when conducting therapy to diverse populations such as Asian American women. Those that were born in Asia have a naturally diverse way of thinking and behavior. Dewell and Owen (2015) stated that Asian American college students prefer counseling styles that are more directive and logical rather than a nondirective approach. Knowing this piece of information may help Asian American clients who are young women locate better compatible therapists they can better understand and work with to better their mental health.

Conclusion

To conclude, Asian American women have suffered greatly from a variety of mental health challenges despite their reputation of having little psychological distress. A greater light should be shed on this population because many of them continue to suffer in silence. Asian American women have shown to suffer from numerous mental health challenges throughout the years and because of the underutilization of mental health services sought out by them, more attention should be directed toward this subpopulation. There is a shortage in the number of studies done concerning the mental health status of Asian American women such as the different ethnic groups in Asia and how those differ from one another. In the future, it is in high hope that more research is conducted based on specific ethnic groups throughout Asian American women to help those in this population who are suffering, and access the mental health services they require.

References

1. Appel, H. B., Huang, B., Ai, A. L., & Lin, C. J. (2011). Physical, Behavioral, and Mental Health Issues in Asian American Women: Results from the National Latino Asian American Study. Journal of Women’s Health (15409996), 20(11), 1703–1711.
2. Augsberger, A., Rivera, A. M., Hahm, C. T., Lee, Y. A., Choi, Y., & Hahm, H. C. (2018). Culturally related risk factors of suicidal ideation, intent, and behavior among Asian American women. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 9(4), 252–261.
3. Augsberger, A., Yeung, A., Dougher, M., & Hahm, H. C. (2015). Factors influencing the underutilization of mental health services among Asian American women with a history of depression and suicide. BMC Health Services Research, 15, 1–11.
4. Cheng, H.-L., Tran, A. G. T. T., Miyake, E. R., & Kim, H. Y. (2017). Disordered Eating Among Asian American College Women: A Racially Expanded Model of Objectification Theory. JOURNAL OF COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY, 64(2), 179–191.
5. Dewell, J. A., & Owen, J. (2015). Addressing Mental Health Disparities With Asian American Clients: Examining the Generalizability of the Common Factors Model. Journal of Counseling & Development, 93(1), 80–87.
6. Hsiu-Lan Cheng, & Youngju Kim, H. (2018). Racial and Sexual Objectification of Asian American Women: Associations with Trauma Symptomatology, Body Image Concerns, and Disordered Eating. Women & Therapy, 41(3/4), 237–260.
7. Keum, B. T., Brady, J. L., Sharma, R., Lu, Y., Kim, Y. H., & Thai, C. J. (2018). Gendered Racial Microaggressions Scale for Asian American Women: Development and Initial Validation. JOURNAL OF COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY, 65(5), 571–585.
8. Lee, J., Choi, M. J. (2018). Childhood Shadows: Psychological Distress of Childhood Maltreatment among Asian-American Women. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 27(9), 2954–2965.
9. Smart, R., Tsong, Y., Mejía, O. L., Hayashino, D., & Braaten, M. E. T. (2011). Therapists’ experiences treating Asian American women with eating disorders. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 42(4), 308–315.