Letter from the Editor

Letter from the Editor

Welcome to our new format - Topic of the Quarter, for our first theme we will be exploring the link between homelessness and behavioral health. The reason I started here was two fold. Homelessness is on the rise, with the decline in affordable housing options and the economic upheaval brought on by COVID 19, and the stigma surrounding it in both personal attitudes and public policy is rampant and unchallenged in our day to day lives. It is also deeply personal in both my past experiences with housing insecurity and my professional career working in housing services.

For LGBTQ seniors, COVID-19 worsens an epidemic of loneliness

For LGBTQ seniors, COVID-19 worsens an epidemic of loneliness

“At the time, an incredible stigma still dogged LGBTQ Americans, despite a push for social change prompted by such incidents as the Stonewall riots in 1969 in New York City. In that era, it was very common to lose friends and become estranged from family, and that social loss can impact LGBTQ adults for years, leading to physical and emotional decline.”

The Human-Animal Bond and Older LGBTQ+ Adults

The Human-Animal Bond and Older LGBTQ+ Adults

“LGBTQ older adults, likely due to the long-existing history of criminalization and stigmatization and the lack of perceived social support, are in a more vulnerable condition... A study revealed that interacting with pets was associated with higher levels of perceived social support, which has both direct and indirect effects on older adults’ physical and mental health (Muraco et al., 2018).”

Housing crisis takes toll on Bay Area LGBTQ seniors

Housing crisis takes toll on Bay Area LGBTQ seniors

“"LGBTQ elders face heightened isolation, oftentimes being forced to hide their sexual orientation and/or gender identity inside nursing homes or care facilities, which our Project Reclamation homes enthusiastically welcome and uplift," Daly continued. "Older adults themselves face stigma, and those living with severe behavioral health challenges have even deeper incidences of stigma.”

LGBTQ Older Adult Survey During COVID-19 and the Stay-at-Home Mandate

LGBTQ Older Adult Survey During COVID-19 and the Stay-at-Home Mandate

“The percentage of LGBTQ older adults with self-reported symptoms of depression increased to 13.5%, almost 3 times more than during the pre-pandemic experience.
…
These disparities can be understood as a consequence of minority stress from multiple negative experiences and traumas encountered over the course of their lifetime, for example, stigma, discrimination, sexism, heterosexism, and rejection from family, etc.”

Blacksburg addressing mental health in the Asian American community with new resource

Blacksburg addressing mental health in the Asian American community with new resource

She said cultural differences like the model minority myth create burdens of stigmatization for the community.

“It says well, you are supposed to be successful, then you are not supposed to find help, right?” she said. “And you’re stigmatized if you do.”

‘Trauma upon trauma’: Asian Americans say mental health has suffered amid COVID-19, anti-Asian violence

‘Trauma upon trauma’: Asian Americans say mental health has suffered amid COVID-19, anti-Asian violence

“Since moving to the United States at 15, Ok Kyung Kim says she has felt free, like she always had more than enough of what she needed. But the pandemic and the Georgia shootings changed that, she says.

….

“I’m an Asian elderly who live in the U.S.A., but, yes, I’m afraid of to go out and have a shopping and go outside, so I still I have some worries, so not totally free, and I don’t feel safe anymore in this community.””

Amid attacks, Asian Americans challenge traditions that discourage speaking out, seeking therapy

Amid attacks, Asian Americans challenge traditions that discourage speaking out, seeking therapy

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.

Rise in Asian American Discrimination and Violence During COVID Is Causing Mental Health Crisis

Rise in Asian American Discrimination and Violence During COVID Is Causing Mental Health Crisis

“Stigma toward seeking mental healthcare, or even expressing emotions, is significant among Asian American cultures, Hsu said. Asian Americans are three times less likely to seek mental healthcare than white Americans, according to data collected in 2012 from the National Latino and Asian American Study.”

“You Don’t Have to Know Yourself Right Away”: Iris Shares Her Journey of Self Discovery As a Transgender Woman

“You Don’t Have to Know Yourself Right Away”: Iris Shares Her Journey of Self Discovery As a Transgender Woman

“When mental health concerns arise, it often isn’t that there’s anything wrong with these young people, it’s that they are at greater risk of being stigmatized and not supported while questioning their identity,” said Dr. Cesalie Stepney, a clinical psychologist at Seattle Children’s. “Parents who affirm a child’s identity by using the right name and pronoun, or letting their child dress and style their hair the way they want to, can help reduce their child’s mental health risk.”