Saving Face & Stigma

Asian Americans tend to seek mental health services at a lower rate than the general public. Is this because they tend to have fewer mental health issues? It is actually because Asian Americans have a cultural value called "saving face" that prevents them from airing dirty laundry publicly (e.g., seeking help through a third party). By the time an individual or family seeks mental health treatment, they are usually far more severe than their counterparts. Therefore, it's important to understand the cultural implications for "losing face" by seeking services and encourage Asian Americans to seek help in the earlier phases of potential problem resolution since studies also show that prevention (before a problem arises) and early intervention (just when an issue becomes problematic) tend to be more effective than crisis intervention (when a problem has gotten out of control).