Suicide Among Asian Suicide Among Asian American YouthAmerican Youth

Group Members:Group Members:Kimberly JohnsonKimberly Johnson Rashell Groce Rashell GroceSharece MillerSharece Miller LaTasha Toney LaTasha ToneyBrandy Jeffrey Brandy Jeffrey Nicole Clark Nicole Clark

Asian American History Asian American History (In Brief)(In Brief)

• Asians immigrated in very large numbers from all parts of Asia; the first immigrants to arrive in America were from western and northern Europe

• The rate at which they were entering into the United States caused Americans to become fearful and they began referring to Asian arrival as “yellow peril”

• This fear eventually led to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which:– was punitive and restrictive legislation– denied community resources and freedom of movement– prevented from owning land– required exorbitant taxes– restricted them for 10 years and continued until 1965

• The Immigration and Naturalization Law abolished the above act and implemented a preferential system of employment and provisions for family reunification

Asian American Asian American DemographicsDemographics

• Cultural Demographics:– One of the fastest growing immigrant groups with a population of 14.4

million (2005)– Asian Americans are a heterogeneous population and despite some

common characteristics there are unique differences among the subgroups

– Chinese Americans are the largest Asian American group-3.3 million, Filipinos-2.8 million, Indo-Americans- 2.5 million, Vietnamese-1.5 million, Korean American-1.4 million, Japanese American-1.2 million, and other Asian groups-1.2 million

– Asian Americans tend to live in urban and coastal areas.

• Religion (Varies among subgroups):– Confucianism, Christianity, Catholicism, Protestant, and

Presbyterianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Shinto, Shamanism, Hinduism

• Miscellaneous Demographics:– Median household income is $61,094; 11.1% poverty rate– This culture owns more small businesses compared to other racial

groups to avoid discrimination

Asian American Family ValuesAsian American Family Values• Asian identity is enmeshed in the identity of their

specific group.• In Families:

– Roles are Explicitly Defined: • The father is the head of the household and a

disciplinarian; he’s less approachable and distant; and his parental authority is unquestioned.

• The mother is the nurturer and caretaker• Children are expected to

– Live with parents until they’re married– Are encouraged to date and marry within the

race, only– Obey parents– Care for aging parents

– Harmony is stressed and members’ emotions are controlled to preserve it.

– Problems are kept within family.• Married couples are less likely to get divorced• Achievement and success are HIGHLY emphasized,

which adds tremendous pressure to do well in ALL endeavors.

““The Model Minority”The Model Minority”

• The “Model Minority” is a controversial and debated term, which refers to Asian Americans’: – hard work – high educational achievements

• 49% have a bachelors degree or higher• 20% have graduate or professional degrees

– professional and vocational success – minimal dependence on social services – law abiding behavior

• This term has been said to be a stereotype. Asian Americans struggle with daily problems like every other culture of people. This stereotype casts Asian Americans under a light that beams “perfection”, but that is not the case for any human being.

Watch the following clip: Today Will Be Just Finehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p66FDkqvnQM

Adolescence within itself, assimilation, various levels of Adolescence within itself, assimilation, various levels of acculturation within the household, and ethnic identity acculturation within the household, and ethnic identity

formation can cause stress and suicidal ideation in the Asian formation can cause stress and suicidal ideation in the Asian American Community.American Community.

Suicide PrevalenceSuicide Prevalence

About 32,000 Americans commit suicide per year:

• Suicide is the 8th leading cause of death in the United States

• Suicide is the 3rd3rd leading causeleading cause of death between ages 15-24– Constitute for the largest number suicides in the United States

Suicide Prevalence Among Asian Americans:

• The suicide rate is 5.40 per 100,000, approximately half the overall U.S. rate of 10.75 per 100,000.

• Suicide is the 2nd leading cause2nd leading cause of death for Asian-American women – Asian-American women ages 15-24 have the highest suicide rate of

women in any race or ethnic group in that age group.

Follow link and click on the Video section (on the left side): The Pressure to Hide Mental Illnesshttp://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/05/16/asian.suicides/index.html

Health and Mental HealthHealth and Mental Health(Health problems vary among subgroups)(Health problems vary among subgroups)

– Major Causes of Death Among Asian Americans: • heart disease, cancer, and stroke• Suicide is the 8th leading cause for all ages (between 1999-2004);

it’s the 3rd leading cause between ages 15-24; and the 2nd leading cause for women between ages 15-24.

– Attitudes towards mental health and seeking services are influenced by:

• religious beliefs • heritage • history of migration and acculturation • socioeconomic level • educational achievements • traumatic experiences

– Barriers Affecting Use of Services:• LOSING FACE, culturally unresponsive services, and limited

access; lack of health insurance

*34.1% demonstrated a need but only 8% sought help*

Mental Health ConsiderationsMental Health Considerations• One study found that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are

significantly less likely than Caucasians to mention their mental health concerns to:– a friend or relative (12% vs. 25%)– a mental health professional (4% vs. 26%)– or a physician (2% vs. 13%).

• Asian Americans do not access mental health treatment as much as other racial/ethnic groups do, perhaps due to strong stigma related to mental illness.

• Emotional problems are viewed as shameful and distressing and this may limit help-seeking behaviors.

• Asian Americans also tend to rely on family to handle problems.• Asian American and Pacific Islanders are concerned about

negatively affecting their social network which keeps them from seeking help.

Click Here to Watch: Asian SuicideClick Here to Watch: Asian Suicidehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeLZpm2iwvY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeLZpm2iwvY

Risk and Protective FactorsRisk and Protective FactorsRISKS FACTORS:

• Female Asian Americans are more at risk for committing suicide than male

• Physical Abuse plays a key role in adolescents being at-risk for committing suicide

• Extreme Pressures of Achievement

• Stress of Holding in Family Problems

• Low Self-Esteem

• High Emotional Stress

• Family history of mental illness

• Not seeking mental health services

PROTECTIVE FACTORS:

• Interdependence– strong family and social ties

• Religion- Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism all focus on the interconnectedness of the group instead of the individual

• Family Structure- age and gender based roles of the family

• Value of Modesty- guides children’s behaviors to the goal of being harmonious

• Level of Acculturation- level of mainstreaming to the dominant culture, primarily in language (both verbal and nonverbal)

There’s Help!!!!There’s Help!!!!

Through preventions and interventions, suicide and suicidal ideation Through preventions and interventions, suicide and suicidal ideation among Asian American youth can be reduced.among Asian American youth can be reduced.

PreventionsPreventionsTo attempt to reduce suicide among this population,

one should:– Develop assessment skills that examine individual and family

dynamics; such development may lead to early detection of mental health issues. Instead of assessing the youth’s academic achievement, assess how he/she relates to his/her social network (i.e. peers).

– Address the stigma that surrounds mental health issues in the Asian American community; educate the parents about mental health issues and inform them that these issues affect people across cultures.

– Improve resiliency and attempt to enhance the quality of life.

– Recognize and manage depressive symptoms of mental illness.

– Develop outreach programs for at-risk youth that can help the youth cope with stressors that they are facing.

– Increase public awareness of the issues so that it may be easier or youth to share their experiences. Develop a network of resources to help youth to seek out treatment for serious conditions.

*Approach every prevention method with cultural sensitivity; advocate for services that involve cultural awareness and

bilingual services.

InterventionsInterventionsSuicide intervention is a direct effort to stop or prevent

persons attempting or considering suicide from actually killing themselves. Interventions for suicidal

individuals include but are not limited to the following:

• Public Information Campaigns

• Education about Suicide (Ex. risk factors and warning signs)

• Suicide Hot Lines

• Crisis Centers

• Telephone Counseling

• Strategies to Decrease Access to Firearms and Other Lethal Means of Suicide

• Mental Health Programs for Attempters

Please Remember to Comment on Please Remember to Comment on the Discussion Boardthe Discussion Board

(All comments and critiques are welcome)(All comments and critiques are welcome)

ReferencesReferences

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). Retrieved Jan. 3, 2007, from: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars.

Cohen, N., Tran, T., and Rhee, S. 2007. Multicultural Approaches in Caring for Children, Youth, and Their Families. Boston: Pearson Education

Depression and Suicidal Ideation among Young Asian Americans. Retrieved on 10/26/08 from www.yellowworld.org

Kim, Sherman, Ko, Taylor (2006) Pursuit of comfort and pursuit of harmony: culture, relationships, and social support seeking. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 32(12), 1595-1607.

Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (1999). Counseling the culturally different. New York: Wiley & Sons.

Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Suicide Among Asian Americans/ Pacific Islanders. Retrieved on 10/21/08 from www.sprc.org.

Zhang, A. Y., Snowden, L. R., & Sue, S. (1998). Differences between Asian- and White-Americans’ help-seeking and utilization patterns in the Los Angeles area. Journal of Community Psychology, 26, 317–26.