Although the numbers of Asians experiencing anxiety and depression is rising, Asians in the United States access mental health care at half the rate of other racial groups, according to a 2019 study published by the American Psychiatric Association.
This study cites “feelings of shame, stigmatization, and an unwillingness to burden others” as reasons Asian immigrants and Asian Americans did not seek out therapy.
“A 2019 report from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law found a connection between experiences of discrimination, including in medical care, and suicidality for transgender adults, with participants who had experienced discrimination being twice as likely to have attempted suicide compared to those who had not experienced discrimination.”
“A 2015 study from the National Center for Transgender Equality opened many people’s eyes to the devastating effects of widespread stigma and discrimination on physical and mental health in the transgender community. Among the more shocking and dismaying statistics was that 40 percent of respondents had attempted suicide in their lifetimes, nearly 10 times the national average.”
Of all of the barriers to accessing mental health care in rural communities, telehealth has helped two in a major way: travel times and stigma….
This has been an enormous change for members of the agriculture community, who according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention commit suicide at a higher rate than any other profession.
“African Americans, Latinx, and Asian Americans receive treatment of mental health challenges at 50–70% lower rates than white Americans in this country. This is the result of failures on individual and systemic levels,” he added.
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Black respondents — particularly those who had been through higher education — reported that they had experienced stigmatization, and that professionals had minimized their mental health symptoms. This resulted in a lack of access to appropriate care.
“This work, which will empirically quantify the most common barriers and their impact on treatment seeking, is a first step in breaking down these systemic barriers and providing equitable treatment for everyone who suffers from these deadly illnesses.”
…Hurdles include limited health insurance access, out-of-pocket expenses, clinician shortages, fragmented care, and societal stigma that get in the way of adequate access to care.
“Our research confirms that a higher prevalence of substance use among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults can continue into later life. Similar to LGBTQ adolescents and young adults, such prevalence may be related to stressors like discrimination and stigma based on sexual orientation in addition to stressors related to aging, including social isolation and age-related stigma,” said Benjamin Han, MD, MPH, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care and the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone Health.
“One-third said that they didn’t want to ask permission from their parents — which many states require to provide medical care to a person under 18. The report suggested that for some youth, getting their parents involved would mean having to disclose their sexuality or gender identity. Nearly a quarter also said they were afraid of being outed.”
“The report is relevant to debates currently unfolding nationally about whether to ban discrimination or, alternatively, allow a “license to discriminate” through religious exemptions from discrimination law, Frank said. The data also offer guidance on what policies and practices can help mitigate the consequences of anti-LGBT discrimination, prejudice and stigma, he said.”
