Asian American adolescents' mental health literacy and beliefs about helpful strategies to address mental health challenges at school

Abstract

Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial group in the United States. Contrary to the model minority myth, many Asian American youth experience mental health challenges. However, they are less likely to utilize school-based mental health services than their non-Asian American peers. A paucity of research addresses Asian American adolescents' understanding of mental health disorders and beliefs about helpful strategies for addressing psychological challenges within the school context. The present study utilized vignettes and semi-structured interviews with 24 Asian American adolescents (M = 16.92, SD = 2.45, 79.17% females) to explore their understanding of eating disorders and depression and what they perceive as helpful strategies to address mental health challenges at school. Participants shared culture-specific risk factors for these mental health disorders, such as high academic pressure, sociocultural pressures for thinness, and internalized model minority stereotype. Participants also proposed strategies to support youth mental health, including providing support, encouraging professional help-seeking, reducing stigma, addressing confidentiality concerns, implementing schoolwide programs to promote mental health awareness, promoting positive coping strategies, and establishing strong connections between mental health providers and Asian American students. We discuss practical implications for

Understanding the factors related to how East and Southeast Asian immigrant youth and families access mental health and substance use services: A scoping review

“…The other seven studies described the role of school-based services in influencing Asian immigrant youth’s mental health and well-being and how services are accessed [ 122 , 131 , 137 , 139 , 154 , 157 , 158 ]. Several studies found that Asian immigrant youth, controlling for confounders, had significantly lower odds of using their school-based MHSU prevention program than Black or Latino youth [ 131 , 154 ].…”

“…For those who did access services, relationships with school health program staff and their ability to refer to relevant school health programs served as key factors influencing youths’ openness to engage in stigmatized services, such as contraception counselling or mental health therapy [ 131 , 154 ]. Furthermore, initiating school-based to promote mental health awareness [ 157 ] and programs that address the intersection of traditional and American values were recommended to improve MHSU literacy and service access in school settings [ 158 ]. It was recommended that teachers and administrators should also strive to create a positive school environment by encouraging the development of supportive relationships among students, their peers, and their teachers [ 122 ].…”

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