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Mile High Asian Media

AANHPI Mental Wellness and Suicide Prevention

Content Warning: Suicide

This article contains discussions and references to suicide, which may be triggering for some readers. Please proceed with caution. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, support is available. Reach out to a mental health professional or contact a suicide prevention helpline immediately.


As Suicide Prevention Month approaches, I find myself reflecting on a deeply personal journey that began 32 years ago when I lost my father to suicide. At the age of eight, this loss profoundly shaped my understanding of mental health, grief, and resilience. Today, I share my story to raise awareness and advocate for the importance of mental health support, especially within our communities.


While acknowledging the impact of my father’s death, I also emphasize the significance of the healing process for my family and me as survivors of suicide. This journey is ongoing, complex, and deeply personal, as we navigate the layers of grief and the enduring effects that suicide leaves on loved ones. It’s a path that requires acknowledging our own pain, seeking support, and building resilience, not just within ourselves, but in our communities as well.


Through this article, I hope to shed light on the unique challenges faced by Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities regarding mental health and suicide prevention. To enrich this discussion, I had the privilege of interviewing two esteemed mental health professionals who are making significant strides in this field: Dr. Ronald Lee, an American-born Chinese psychologist in Denver, and Liz Zhou, a compassionate therapist specializing in neurodivergent adults and couples. Their insights, combined with my own experience, underscore the importance of culturally sensitive approaches to mental health within our community.


In my conversations with Dr. Lee and Dr. Zhou, we explored the unique mental health challenges faced by AANHPI communities, the cultural factors influencing perceptions of mental health, and the importance of integrating traditional practices with modern therapeutic approaches. Their insights provide valuable guidance for both individuals and families navigating these complex issues. Dr. Lee shared that in researching the patterns of AANHPI communities and mental health, he learned that Asian Americans in the U.S. were the racial group least likely to access mental health support when they were in distress.


Written by Catharine McCord | Catharine McCord is a proud Taiwanese American with expertise in science, community development, and holistic wellness. She is the Program Manager for Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network (CACEN) and Program Coordinator for Colorado Asian Pacific United (CAPU). 


Six people stand with a sign that reads Embracing Emotions
CACEN, in collaboration with CORE DEI, Aurora Asian Community Parntership, and Asian Vibes in Denver, organized an AANHPI Mental Wellness Summit on August 31, 2024.

Challenges faced by AANHPI communities regarding mental health and suicide prevention

(1) Model Minority Myth

“The Model Minority Myth assumes that we don’t struggle or that we are naturally able to excel at things without needing much help,” said Dr. Zhou.

“The myth can mask the challenges that our communities face, and of course, it’s a myth – it’s not representative of everyone in the community.”

Dr. Lee continues: “It increases pressure on students and professionals to live up to an unrealistic level of expectations to achieve and be an example to others. It is also devastating when an AANHPI person inevitably fails to meet those high expectations.”

“This situation sets up conflicts with Black and Brown communities, which increases interracial stress.”


(2) Anti-Asian Hate

“Currently, AANHPI communities are experiencing anti-Asian hate and violence at an all-time high. The fear of being the victim of violence in public places is very much on the minds of the AANHPI communities, particularly women and older adults. The data backs up this fear as statistically legitimate,” said Dr. Lee.


(3) Feeling Invisible

According to Dr. Lee, “AANHPIs often feel underappreciated, undervalued, and sometimes ignored when it comes to achievement or acknowledgment.”


(4) Mental Health Stigma

“In many AANHPI communities, mental health is a highly stigmatized topic,” said Dr. Zhou. 

“It can be seen as a sign of weakness to ask for support or to struggle with emotions. When a topic is taboo, it can drive people to hide their struggles or to suffer in silence.”


Q&A with Dr. Liz Zhou

How do cultural factors influence the way mental health issues are perceived and addressed within AANHPI communities?

I want to recognize that exact cultural factors will vary depending on the community and other intersectional identities since, of course, we’re not a monolith. But I have noticed a general theme of coming from an immigrant family – being first-gen, 1.5 gen, second-gen, or beyond – and struggling to bridge the gap across generations. The places that our parents or ancestors immigrated from may have a completely different approach to mental health, if it’s even talked about at all.

There can be an incongruence between the beliefs of one generation and the beliefs of the next generation.


How can families and communities be involved in supporting individuals struggling with suicidal thoughts within the AANHPI community?

Within our communities, I think it’s really important to have more open conversations about mental health and to normalize the fact that we all struggle at times. Maintaining mental health can be a real challenge during these difficult global times.

For individuals struggling with suicidal thoughts, it can make a huge difference to know that mental health is in people’s awareness and that it’s even a topic on the table. When we start talking about these experiences more, the misunderstanding, confusion, and shame around them can start to dissipate, and we can really empower and support each other from within our community.


Q&A with Dr. Ronald Lee

Can you share culturally sensitive approaches you use in therapy to address suicide prevention?

Because there exists a stigma of mental health for the AANHPI community, there needs to be lots of education and promotion of mental health resources. Communities need to know that local and national support lines for suicide have access to translators who can speak different AANHPI dialects.

Since AANHPI do not typically talk about therapy as normal in their family and social conversations, there needs to be outreach about suicide prevention to areas that are more populated by AANHPI families, including faith-based and other AANHPI community leaders. The language of this educational information needs to be culturally sensitive and representative of how local communities speak (including language translation if needed).

Once a person is in therapy to address suicide, there needs to be a careful examination of the person’s history. The therapist will look for themes of isolation, depression, feeling unworthy, or like they don’t belong. Since it is hard for many AANHPI to be forthcoming about these themes, more concrete questions like their sleep habits, appetite, socialization, and family relations will more effectively get to these themes.

It is important to reach out to the person’s family or social network to share in the concern for suicide and to be willing to mobilize supportive resources for professional mental health support if there is a need. These supportive people need to be coached in giving praise for the individual to work on their concerns through therapy, as opposed to shaming them for not living up to expectations. The inclusion of language translators may be appropriate to more fully communicate concerns and the importance of safety planning.


How do you integrate traditional and modern therapeutic practices to support your AANHPI clients?

The encouragement of maintaining or increasing traditional practices to support AANHPI clients, like mobilizing the support of family and religious faith, as well as connecting with one’s heritage and community, should be mixed in with more modern practices of considering medications, trying talk therapy, and practicing mindfulness (meditation and yoga). In many ways, these naturally overlap.

Therapy is often a good way to supplement a lack of social support or family. Research-based medications can often go hand in hand with herbal or dietary treatments. And many see an overlap in the powers of prayer and religious practices with mindfulness, yoga, and stress management.


What strategies do you find effective in building trust with AANHPI clients who may be hesitant to seek help due to stigma?

Re-norming the AANHPI community so that mental health support is common and normal practice rather than taboo and a last resort is crucial. Contrary to popular belief, research shows that talking about suicide does not increase the risk for suicide. It actually decreases it. As a community, we just have to get past the stigma of talking about it publicly.  This social re-norming is done through repetitive exposure and education about mental health support.

Education should include talking about common stressors that challenge the myths in AANHPI communities, like the beliefs that all AANHPI are rich, educated, and live in nice homes. There is a false belief that AANHPI communities economically and socially have it easy. Showing how different AANHPI nationalities within the community are struggling in ways that defy the myth of the “Model Minority” is key.

Convincing AANHPI community leaders that mental health support is not a threat to their culture and traditions is very important. That way, the voices of these leaders at community centers and places of worship will be more in partnership and collaboration, rather than challenging the traditional ways and the power of communities.

If mental health agencies or other service systems (like social services, law enforcement, the justice system, and schools)  have caused bias or injury to the AANHPI community in the past, they need to publicly own that and seek to repair the damage for those errors in partnership with community leaders.

Finally, there needs to be more racial representation by hiring more AANHPI therapists. In spite of the growth of the AANHPI citizens in Colorado, there remains only a handful of AANHPI therapists in the mental health profession. Potential clients will feel more welcomed and understood in mental health settings if they have more therapists who look like them and have culturally walked in their shoes.


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