South Asians and Mental Health

As a South Asian youth living in America, I have first-hand experience about how mental health is stigmatized and treated differently from physical health issues within the South Asian community.

"If we start being honest about our pain, our anger, and our shortcomings instead of pretending they don’t exist, then maybe we’ll leave the world a better place than we found it.” – Russell Wilson

This is a shared experience among many South Asian youth, so let's discuss what this looks like:

Factors like:

Acculturation
Migration
Trauma
Stress
Discrimination

are some of the reasons that South Asian-Americans develop higher levels of anxiety, depression, or issues with substance abuse compared to their White counterparts

For youth, pressure to succeed in South Asian culture can lead to suicidal tendencies that present themselves as:

Academic concerns and burnout
Relationship problems
Physical illness
Risky behaviors
Self isolation

These factors are contributing to a large mental health crisis in the mental health community, so what can we do about it?

Break the pattern of stigma and remove outdated thought processes.

South Asian culture considers mental health to be a huge taboo.

South Asians in the United States oftentimes express GREATER stigma towards mental health than other ethnic groups.

How can you help? Click on the STIGMA page to learn more!