Asians

Asian Continent

According to the United Nations (UN), there are 48 countries in Asia, which are divided into Southern Asia, Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, Western Asia, and Central Asia, and according to the UN’s latest estimates, the current population of Asia is about 4.634 billion. According to Worldometer, as of 2020, Asia was the world’s largest and most populous continent in the world, accounting for 59.76% of the total world population. Asia is commonly referred to as the East while Europe, Australia, and the Americas are generally referred to as the West. The geography, climate, culture, language, politics, and social expectations of the East and West have many differences.

There is a long history of Asian migration to the United States. Negative stereotypes and the [Page 99]association of Asia with “otherness” have led discrimination against Asian individuals in the United States. In 1882, the first law preventing immigration to the United States, the Chinese Exclusion Act, was passed. This law prevented any individuals from Asia from immigrating to the United States legally and led to an influx in undocumented migration to the United States via the Mexican and Canadian borders. During World War II, another instance of discrimination against Asian Americans arose when Japanese Americans were held in internment camps following the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japanese troops. While in the 21st century, Asian Americans from Eastern Asia are often stereotyped as hardworking, intelligent, and disciplined, individuals from Western Asia, including people from India or Pakistan, may be labeled as terrorists due to Islamophobia.

Views of Mental Health in Asian Culture

Stigma associated with mental health issues may impede help-seeking behaviors and account for low utilization of mental health services by Asian individuals. Asian clients tend to be concerned with how seeking services will impact their sense of self and how their family and community will perceive them. Asian clients tend to seek services from physical healthcare professionals rather than mental health professionals.

The World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted that despite important health issues, such as Asia accounting for 60% of the world’s suicides, mental health is still a low priority in most Asian countries. Although many Asian countries have national mental health policies, they allocate low budgets for mental health services. A 2017 WHO report found that most patients with mental illnesses do not receive any treatment. The WHO recommends that all member states utilize the Mental Health Action Plan which combines universal and targeted interventions to promote mental health, prevent mental disorders, reduce stigma and discrimination, and increase human rights protections. Although, mental healthcare services have been integrated into the general healthcare system, healthcare professionals receive little training in mental health services. In rural areas, nurses or doctors may be the only people available to address mental health needs. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional group that includes 11 countries and promotes economic, political, educational, sociocultural, and security issues for this region. They, along with the WHO, have identified mental health services as priority for the region.

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