Race and Identity Race and Mental Health 17 Mental Health Resources For Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial process Kendra Cherry Fact checked by Fact checked by Nicholas Blackmer on March 23, 2021 Nick Blackmer is a fact checker and researcher with extensive background in health content. Learn about our editorial process Nicholas Blackmer on March 23, 2021 Print Verywell / Madelyn Goodnight Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Impact on Mental Health Mental Health Resources Mental health resources for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are essential today with the rise of hate and discrimination directed toward these communities. According to a report issued by Stop AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Hate, a group that works to track incidents of racially-motivated harassment and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, anti-Asian hate crimes are on the rise. Over the past year, almost 3,800 incidents of anti-Asian hate incidents were reported. These incidents included slurs, shunning, and physical assaults. More than twice as many of these attacks have been directed toward Asian women. Such numbers represent acts of discrimination that have been reported—the actual numbers are likely much higher. This uptick in harassment and violence is largely attributed to the coronavirus pandemic as well as racist political rhetoric directed toward Asian people. The Pew Research Center also reports that three in 10 Asian Americans have experienced racist jokes or racial slurs since the start of the pandemic. Impact on Mental Health This discrimination, harassment, and violence have a serious impact on the mental health and well-being of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. One study found that 42% of those who had experienced discrimination had anxiety symptoms, 30% had depression symptoms, and 39% had symptoms of traumatic stress. It is critical that these communities have access to appropriate mental health resources. Racism and xenophobia take a serious toll on Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Research has found that racism and discrimination have a significant negative impact on BIPOC mental health. Communities that are subjected to othering by the dominant racial group are prone to mental health concerns including an increased risk for anxiety and depression. Such othering also increases the risk of discrimination, harassment, and other hate crimes. This race-based discrimination can be overt in the form of verbal harassment or physical attacks, but it can also take the form of microaggressions. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), people who experience hate crimes are more likely to experience: Anger Anxiety Depression Poor self-esteem Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Research has found that racial discrimination has negative effects increases the risk of diabetes, poor cardiovascular health, high cholesterol, and obesity. Mental Health Resources "Asian Americans have long encountered barriers to accessing health and mental health care due to linguistic, cultural, insurance, and other barriers," explained the Asian American Psychological Association in a written statement given in a March 18, 2021 U.S. House of Representatives hearing on discrimination and violence against Asian Americans. "Fear/anticipation of future racism may prevent Asian Americans from accessing needed resources, such as health and mental health care." Because of this, online resources can be a particularly important tool for providing both resources and information on mental health for Asian Americans. Below is a list of tools and organizations that are available to help Asian American and Pacific Island folx who are in need of mental health resources: Asian American Psychological Association The Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA) focuses on using research, education, policy, and professional practice to advance the mental health and well-being of Asian communities. In addition to advocacy and research, AAPA also provides fact sheets on Asian mental health concerns, anti-bullying information, and Asian American LGBTQ resources. The Asian Mental Health Collective The Asian Mental Health Collective is an organization focused on de-stigmatizing mental health within Asian communities. They provide the APISAA Therapist Directory, a directory of therapists located in most states + Washington, DC who specialize in serving Asian American communities. The National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association The National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA) is a resource provider for mental health services for Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians. The organization provides a resource list of state-level programs designed to meet AAPI-community mental health needs. In addition to a list of services available in all 50 states, the organization also provides links to general mental health resources as well as COVID-19 specific resources. The South Asian Mental Health Initiative & Network The South Asian Mental Health Initiative & Network (SAMHIN) is a non-profit that works to address the mental health needs of South Asian folx living in the United States. They provide a list of mental health providers who specialize in offering services to the South Asian community. Their provider directory allows you to search by languages spoken, location, and specialty area. National Alliance on Mental Illness The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers a section of their site with resources specifically for Asian American and Pacific Islanders. In addition to providing an overview of some of the barriers to mental health care for members of these communities (which include stigma, language barriers, and lack of culturally competent providers), NAMI also has seminars available in Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese and links to culturally-sensitive support groups. Asian American Health Initiative The Asian American Health Initiative (AAHI) is a resource created by the Maryland Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. While their mission is to improve the health and wellness of Asian Americans living in Montgomery Country, Maryland, the site also provides useful general resources in Traditional Chinese, Korean, Hindi, and Vietnamese languages. Topics covered in these resources include getting mental health care, dealing with stress, building resilience, and staying active for well-being. National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance The National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) brings together lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Asian American, South Asian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) organizations. Their goal is to help local groups by providing education, leadership development, collaboration, and visibility to help challenge racism and anti-LGBTQ bias. They also provide a directory of Asian and Pacific Islander healers and therapists. Social Mental Health Resources There are also a number of great Instagram accounts that offer mental health information and resources for Asian communities. Some accounts to follow include: @asiansdotherapy @asianmentalhealthcollective @asianmentalhealthproject @asiansformentalhealth @browngirltherapy @itsjiyounkim @hieupham.lcsw @projectlotusorg @southasiantherapists @themindhealthspot A Word From Verywell Increased racism and the compound effects of other pandemic-related stressors negatively affect mental health and wellness of Asian communities. In order to cope with the effects of this stress and racial trauma, it is important for Asian Americans to have access to resources and support systems that can help. In addition to the support of family, friends, and community, online resources—including online therapy and online mental health apps—can be a helpful way to support mental wellness in the face of stress and discrimination. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Stop AAPI Hate. Stop AAPI Hate national report. Published 2021. Pew Research Center. Many Black and Asian Americans say they have experienced discrimination amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Published July 1, 2020. American Psychological Association. Written testimony from the Asian American Psychological Association. Hearing held on March 18, 2021. American Psychological Association. The psychology of hate crimes. Published August 2017. Gee GC, Ro A, Shariff-Marco S, Chae D. Racial discrimination and health among Asian Americans: evidence, assessment, and directions for future research. Epidemiol Rev. 2009;31:130-51. doi: 10.1093/epirev/mxp009