Asian American/Pacific Islanders Awareness is celebrated each May in recognition of two important milestones in Asian/Pacific-American history: the arrival in the United States of the first Japanese immigrants on May 7, 1843 and the contributions of Chinese workers to the building of the transcontinental railroad, completed on May 10, 1869.

The  Asian/Pacific-American community is made up of more than 30 distinct subpopulations with differing cultures, religions, traditions, and beliefs, speaking more than 100 different languages. U.S. Census figures show that the  Asian/Pacific-American population grew at a rate five times faster than the general population between 1990 and 2000, making it one of the fastest growing populations in the country.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are well represented in most professions and nearly every walk of life.  Yet, according to the White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders, in 2001 there remained a serious lack of data to offer an accurate picture of issues affecting Asian/Pacific-Americans. Primary health, housing, employment, education, economic status, acculturation, immigration, legal issues, etc. -- all impact one's emotional well being, yet hard data on the mental health status of Asian/Pacific-Americans are difficult to find. Stigma, varying levels of English proficiency and different cultural norms about what constitutes appropriate mental health interventions make it difficult to ascertain the prevalence of mental illness among Asian/Pacific-Americans.

The APA Office of Minority and National Affairs (OMNA), the Council on Minority Mental Health and Health Disparities and the APA Committee of Asian American Psychiatrists have identified the elimination of mental health disparities as a top priority and are engaged in a number of initiatives to that end. Through public awareness campaigns to promote a better understanding of mental illness, outreach to communities about the significance of disparities in mental health, alliances and collaborations with professional associations and family and consumer organizations, these components of APA are dedicated to helping  Asian/Pacific-Americans and all Americans achieve optimal mental health and well-being.

Please use the resources on this page to learn more about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, mental health, and other issues that affect AAPI communities.

Expert Opinion

Surinder S. Nand, M.D., is a Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Associate Director, Psychiatry Residency Training and Education Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago and serves as Chair of the APA Committee of Asian American Psychiatrists.  Dr. Nand answers questions about mental health within the  Asian/Pacific-American community. [Read more...]

APA Let’s Talk Facts Brochures

Mental Health in Asian American and Pacific Islanders

-----------------------------

Other featured Let's Talk Facts Brochures for this month








Depression
Anxiety Disorders
Phobias


Community Resources

NAAPIMHA.org 
The National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA) advocates on behalf of Asian/Pacific-American mental health issues serving as a forum for effective collaboration and networking among a wide range of stake holders addressing issues that include both physical and mental health as well as substance abuse.
NAAPIMHA offers downloadable resources on topics such as Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia in five different languages. (Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Khmer, Hmong, as well as English)Visit http://naapimha.org/issues/Consumers.html

APIAHF.org
The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) is a national advocacy organization dedicated to promoting policy, program, and research efforts to improve the health and well-being of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander communities. They advocate on health issues of significance to  these communities, conduct community-based technical assistance and training programs, provide health and U.S. Census data analysis and information dissemination, and convene regional and national conferences on issues of importance to Asian/Pacific-Americans’ health.
NICOSCHC.org  
NICOS Chinese Health Coalition is a public-private-community partnership of more than 30 health and human service organizations and concerned individuals in the San Francisco Bay area. NICOS' mission is to enhance the health and wellness of San Francisco's Chinese community. The Coalition sponsors the Chinese Community Problem Gambling Project, which helps build the Chinese community’s capacity to address the problem of gambling. http://www.nicoschc.com/ccpgp.html