The story behind the headlines: "A dying mother's plan: Buy a gun. Rent a hotel room. Kill her son."

When initial headlines came out in 2015, an immigrant family's tragedy seemed puzzling.

• http://ktla.com/2015/07/30/mother-accused-of-killing-teenage-son-as-he-slept-in-rosemead-motel-room-charged-with-murder/
• http://abc7.com/news/17-year-old-boy-fatally-shot-at-rosemead-hotel;-mother-arrested/886699/
• http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Woman-Arrested-After-Mans-Shooting-Death-at-Rosemead-Hotel-318722671.html

Recently, investigative reporting helped to fill in the gaps of how lack of awareness regarding mental illness might have led a loved one to search for desperate measures for how to care for their family members.

http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-mother-murder-mental-20170514-htmlstory.html

Why is it that some people don’t receive help that can benefit their mental health?

The National Institute for Mental Health (via Psychology Today) has found that Asian Americans in particular experience barriers preventing them from accessing mental health care. “According to a 2011 study from the National Institute for Mental Health, Asian Americans are less likely to reach out for help with emotional difficulties than white, Latino, and Black ethnic groups. In fact, only 17% of all Asian Americans have sought professional help, and only 6% sought this help from a mental health provider.” (Psychology Today, 2016)

To read more about how stigma affects Asian American males, refer to Erin Chew’s review of a recent Psychology Today publication: http://www.yomyomf.com/the-dark-struggle-of-mental-illness-among-asian-american-men/.

The original Psychology Today article refers to the work of a therapist who specializes in 2nd and 3rd generation Asian Americans in the Bay Area of California. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-pacific-heart/201612/when-asian-american-men-seek-therapy-the-invisible-struggle

Seeking the assistance of a mental health professional early on is an important part of success in treatment. Therefore, encourage yourself or your loved ones to consider speaking with a professional to see what options are available.

The Asian American Voice Podcast

I'd like to thank my new friend, Mr. B. J. Kang, for hosting the Asian American Voice. It was an honor to have such a meaningful conversation with you on your fifteenth episode.

I appreciate you offering your platform as an opportunity to help fight stigma against mental health when it really should be a household name given that 1 out of every 4 suffer from a mental health condition. As a show of thank you, B. J.: If you ever want restaurant suggestions while you're in my neighborhood, I'll do my best to offer recommendations that make the trip worth it.

What A Difference A Friend Makes

The National Alliance Mental Illness (NAMI) recognized July as National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Multicultural_Support&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=120508. 


SAMHSA and the Ad Council ran a campain which targeted young adults in the Chinese community and encourages social networks to get educated and support those experiencing mental health symptoms. http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/adcouncil/44964/

The "What a Difference a Friend Makes" campaign is an example of what public education can do to help reduce stigma towards mental illnesses.  http://www.whatadifference.samhsa.gov/Chinese/

National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

Did you know that July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month?  Why is this important?  Certain cultural groups do not discuss mental health issues due to the fear of stigma and the double minority status (for example, being an ethnic minority person with a mental illness). 

How do we combat the stigma associated with double minority status?  Speaking out through awareness campaigns would be one of the ways to fight such stereotypes.  Thus, designating July as National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month gives our communities an avenue to voice our perspectives and educate the public. 

There are excellent organizations formed with the intentions of reducing such barriers.  Check out the websites below for more information. 

http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Multicultural_Support1&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=111375

http://nned.net/index-nned.php/NNED_content/news_announcement/nmmham-webinar-II

Mental Health in China

How does mental health in China compare to mental health for Chinese Americans? A recently disturbing article highlights how stigma can prevent individuals from getting proper care for mental disorders. In the link below, one will see how manageable mental illnesses can impact society if left untreated.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/11/world/asia/11psych.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

What are your thoughts about consequences of untreated mental illnesses? Barriers to treatment due to lack of knowledge, lack of resources, or stigma can end up negatively affecting our communities.

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).