Mental Health and Wellness in the Asian American/Pacific Islander Community

May 05, 2023 by Erica Fischer-Cartlidge DNP, CNS, AOCNS®, EBP-CH, ONS Chief Clinical Officer

Rates of hate incidents against the Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) community have tripled (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.708426) since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and it’s taking a toll on the population’s mental well-being. Researchers have linked pandemic-related discrimination (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.708426) to increased anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances among members of the AAPI community, yet they are much less likely to seek or accept mental health services (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.708426) than any other racial group.

What Can You Do?

In some Asian cultural groups, psychological distress is not only a reflection on the individual (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.708426) but the entire family as well. Thus, shame and embarrassment may contribute (https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/ethnicity-health/asian-american/psychological-treatment) to whether an individual will admit to experiencing psychological problems or seek care for them.

Learn more about how to provide culturally competent care for the AAPI community (https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/ethnicity-health/asian-american/psychological-treatment) to support their mental health and wellness.

Acknowledgement: We thank clinical psychologist, Christian Nelson, PhD, for contributing to the development of this article.

Have you experienced a cultural clinical practice encounter or situation that would be helpful for other oncology nurses to understand? Email us about it at pubONSVoice@ons.org (mailto:pubONSVoice@ons.org) for consideration for a future article.


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