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5 Things to Know about Asian Americans and Mental Health
- AsianAveMag
- 6 days ago
- 7 min read
By Dr. Ronald Lee, Psychologist
** Resources at the end of the article.
“Our brains so hate the idea of losing something that’s valuable to us that we abandon all rational thought, and we make some really poor decisions. So, Curtis wasn’t playing to win. He was playing not to lose,” said Rachel Chu, the protagonist in the movie Crazy Rich Asians.
The state of mental health for Asian Americans is a fluid, complex issue with its own unique risk factors, cultural influences, and protective elements. This article outlines five major themes that capture the ethnic and cultural perspectives that many Asian Americans are grappling with today in terms of their collective mental health struggles and multi-cultural needs.
1) Asian Americans Are Not a Monolith
Asian Americans are one of the most diverse racial groups in the U.S., differing significantly by income, education, language, and household structure. According to Pew Research, more than 20 Asian origin groups are represented in the U.S.
The six largest groups are Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese. Many consider Asian Americans the fastest-growing racial group in the country.
Between 2000 and 2019, 11 Asian origin groups more than doubled in size, with smaller groups such as Bhutanese, Nepalese, and Burmese experiencing the fastest growth—some increasing tenfold.
The median age of Asian Americans varies widely: Hmong, Burmese, and Nepalese communities are among the youngest, while Thai and Japanese communities are among the oldest. Japanese Americans are the most likely to identify as multiracial, with one-third identifying as such.
Disparities also exist in education and income. For example, Malaysians, Mongolians, and Sri Lankans are among the most likely to have a bachelor’s degree, while Laotians and Bhutanese are among the least.
Only two origin groups—Indian and Filipino Americans—had median incomes above the overall Asian American median in 2019, which was $85,800. Burmese and Nepalese Americans had the lowest median incomes of only $44,000 and $55,000, respectively.
About 24% of Asian Americans live in multigenerational households—compared to 13% of white Americans. More than half of Bhutanese Americans and large percentages of Cambodians and Laotians live in such households.
Implications: The “model minority” myth can lead to false assumptions that all Asian Americans are well-off, highly educated, and doing just fine. This obscures the diversity and disparities within the community.
For example, multigenerational living, which is more common among Asian Americans, had implications during the COVID-19 pandemic when older adults faced higher risks of severe illness and death. We must take time to understand the nuances among Asian Americans and avoid assumptions based on stereotypes.
2. Anti-Asian Hate Did Not End After the Pandemic
Anti-Asian hate crimes surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the fear and racism did not disappear with the end of the pandemic.
The 2023 Stop AAPI Hate report found that nearly half (49%) of AAPI respondents experienced a hate incident that year due to their race, ethnicity, or nationality.
Over half (51%) encountered discrimination, and 53% were targeted for an additional identity (e.g., gender, age, class).
Despite the prevalence of hate, underreporting remains a major issue. Forty-four percent did not tell anyone about their experience—not even family or friends.
Only 10% reported incidents to law enforcement, and just 6% to a civil rights agency. Among those affected, 43% reported negative health impacts, but 37% received no support at all.
Implications: It is a myth that hate crimes against Asian Americans stopped after 2021. Incidents of violence, discrimination, and verbal abuse persist in public spaces, workplaces, and schools.
Many Asian Americans are hesitant to seek support from law enforcement or health professionals due to mistrust and a lack of cultural competency. This reinforces a cycle of fear, silence, and unaddressed trauma.
3. Asian Americans are Three Times Less Likely Than Others to Go to Therapy
Even before COVID-19, Asian Americans reported psychological distress at rates similar to other racial groups. During the pandemic, rates of anxiety and depression increased sharply, with a 97% spike in anxiety diagnoses in 2020 alone.
Yet despite this, Asian Americans remain three times less likely to seek therapy. One study found only 8.7% accessed mental health services, compared to 17.9% of the general population.
Barriers include stigma, mistrust of healthcare, culturally based shame, lack of awareness, and challenges related to acculturation. Many Asian families consider mental illness a sign of weakness, and emotional struggles are often minimized or ignored. Asian Americans are also more likely to delay seeking professional help until symptoms become severe.
Cultural beliefs further complicate access. The mind-body connection emphasized in many Asian traditions may lead individuals to consult a physician instead of a therapist for mental health issues. Additionally, implicit biases in the healthcare system can lead to underdiagnosis or neglect.
Implications: The stigma surrounding mental health is deeply rooted in traditional Asian cultures. Mental health professionals must build trust, respect cultural values, and move at a pace that honors the client’s background and emotional readiness.
4) Suicide Rates Among Asian Americans are Rising
Family dynamics, particularly the tension between acculturation and enculturation, often play a central role in treatment. Addressing both the “success” narrative of the acculturated and the guilt of those clinging to cultural roots is key to effective care.
Recent studies have raised alarms about rising suicide rates among Asian Americans—especially youth, young adults, and elders. From 1999 to 2021, suicide rates for Asian American youth rose 72% for males and 125% for females. Suicide is now the leading cause of death among Asian American young adults.
Experts link these increases to cyberbullying, academic pressure, discrimination, and the persistent model minority myth. The stereotype that Asian Americans are naturally high-achieving can contribute to feelings of isolation, inadequacy, and invisibility—especially when individuals fall short of these expectations.
Access to firearms, which has increased in some Asian American communities, is also linked to rising suicide rates.
Implications: Suicide prevention must be part of the mental health conversation in Asian American communities. Talking about suicide does not increase risk—it reduces it. We need broad, culturally tailored education on warning signs, increased access to services, and supportive interventions across schools, workplaces, and community centers. Outreach to faith leaders and political advocates can also help build culturally relevant suicide prevention efforts.
5) Embracing Culture and History Builds Resilience
Despite the challenges, Asian Americans have a long legacy of resilience, strength, and healing. Families and communities that share stories of struggle and survival—such as Japanese American internment during WWII or recent recovery efforts in Maui—foster validation and connection.
Protective factors for AAPI mental health include strong ethnic identity, cultural pride, family bonds, and support from traditional healers. When combined with effective mental health care and a sense of community belonging, these factors significantly reduce the risk of mental health challenges.
Implications: Resilience among Asian Americans is fueled by cultural identity and community. Culturally competent mental health care that honors heritage, community narratives, and generational healing can help individuals thrive.
When Asian Americans are supported in embracing both their cultural roots and their current realities, they become powerful agents of well-being and change.
Summary
Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders are not only the survivors of past traumas and an arduous history. They are also a proud product of a triumphant legacy that has turned hardship into prosperity and our setbacks into hard lessons learned.
The AAPI community has been able to rise above the implicit biases of a dominant culture that would prefer that we are pigeonholed into a monolith of a static and dormant stereotype. But we as the AAPI community is much too resilient, fluid, and adaptive to be passive and stay in one place.
Our community is far too diverse, vibrant, and driven to be held down. The diverse nations that represent our community does not divide us. It feeds our creativity and ingenuity as we become stronger in our own coalitions.
The prevalence of anti-Asian hate teaches us that our growing awakening and activism to bend our politics towards social justice will continue to be an essential part of our mental health narrative.
Our underutilization of seeking mental health support will force the professional community to meet us where we are at, become more aware of our cultural beliefs, and examine their own short comings in terms of cultural competence and representation.
Finally, the rise in deaths by suicide for AAPI individuals will be a distress call to mobilize our families and communities into greater awareness about the struggles of our own people – particularly our youth and elders – and the vital need to partner with the world of healthcare systems and professionals.
I own a purple shirt that proudly reads in gold letters: I AM MY ANCESTORS’ WILDEST DREAMS.
It is through that audacity as Asian Americans, to boldly forge ahead without losing site of where we came from, that will give us strength, wisdom, and energy to define, create, and re-create the best version of our authentic selves.
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Mental Wellness Summit
The third annual summit, organized by CORE, Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network, Asian Vibes in Denver, and Aurora Asian Pacific Community Partnership, is coming this fall 2025. Learn more at coloradoasian.org.
Resources
Asian Americans and the ‘model minority’ stereotype (2023)
Factors Associated with Mental Health Help-Seeking Among Asian Americans: A Systemic Review (2021)
Key facts about Asian origin groups in the U.S. (PEW Research) (2021)
Mental Health: An Examination of the Barriers to Effective Care Among Young AAPIs (2022)
Readout of The Department of Justice’s Efforts to Combat Hate Crimes Against Asian American and Pacific Island Communities (2021)
Recommendations for the Treatment of Asian-American/Pacific Islander Populations (2012)
Stop AAPI Hate Report (2024)
Stop Anti-Asian Hate Data, Behavioral Harassment, Business Discrimination (2020-2025)
Suicide Rates Among Asian American and Pacific Islander Youths – A Cause for Alarm
Towards Culturally Sensitive Care: Addressing Challenges in Asian and Asian American Mental Health Services. (2025)
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