Racial Barriers
Race can also be a problem to those seeking help. In 2017, 13 percent of Asian Americans and 17 percent of Asian American immigrants reported that they experienced discrimination when they visited a doctor or health clinic (Kwon et al., 2018). Higher levels of perceived discrimination were associated with less use of professional services (Spencer et al., 2011). A reason for this can be traced to perceptions of Asian Americans. AAPIs might be unable to access resources due to various obstacles,
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"...which data will interpret, 'wow! Asian Americans don't need as much healthcare [so they must be thriving without resources successfully]. This is incorrect. What's actually happening is that AAs need more outreach more than ever because their race shadows the need for more resource accessibility due to stereotypes and other factors"
- (anonymous, personal communication, July 15th)
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In this way, the factor of race has been detrimental in assessing the need of mental wellness support services.
“The high education and economic status of most Asian Americans place them out of many underserved areas and takes focus away from their growing mental health care needs.”
- Asian Psychological Association
The low representation of Asian Americans in healthcare poses a problem for other Asian-Americans hoping to seek help. Vasudev Makhija, the president of SAMHIN, stated, “... poor mental health literacy is a significant barrier. There is [a] lack of proper understanding of mental illnesses and available treatments.” The lack of diversity and cultural understanding within healthcare can be seen as a big issue to individuals in the Asian American community, especially those not adept with American culture.
Furthermore, a student stated, “I think medical professionals should be required to take at least one or two classes addressing Asian American culture, and how to explain mental health to them in a more tangible, direct way” (SR, personal communication, July 20th, 2020).
A lack of education in Asian American culture can further hurt the Asian American community, especially when professionals are unable to phrase diagnoses and treatments in terms they understand. Without this understanding, many individuals are at risk of not receiving proper treatment to address their mental health-related needs.