Minority Mental Health Awareness month raises awareness of the unique struggles that minority communities face regarding mental health. Ethnic minorities are significantly more likely to develop mental health conditions. A major barrier to treatment is the need for understanding mental health support. This year Matthias Laroche brings us together to gain knowledge on historical context, systems of support and actionable ways to move toward a mentally healthy future.
"Born into Asian culture and being Malaysian myself, the concept of mental health was only made aware to me in my teenage years when I was exposed to Western forms of education and media. The words depression or anxiety are not frequently heard. In retrospect, I realize that a large part of mental health neglect in this part of the world is due to people’s inability to even express it through words. Asian culture is not the most accepting of mental health difficulties,
where these issues remain largely ignored in professional, familial, and social contexts. Born to a Malaysian mother and having grown up in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok, I’ve felt and observed how mental health is perceived within these cultures. To place into
context, it is not as if mental health awareness is actively suppressed, but rather that the expectations stemming from family, friends, and work do not accept mental health difficulties as an excuse. Moreover, when problems such as depression and anxiety arise, the victims face
significant stigma and discrimination from the people surrounding them. Growing up in these cultures, we commonly hear phrases such as:
- “You need to get good grades"
- “You need to get a good job”
- “You have to work hard”
Your value as a person depends on your ability to care for your family and community. Hence, when this ability to undertake these responsibilities is reduced by mental health difficulties, your value as a person diminishes in your own eyes and also in the eyes of the community. In my own experience, I frequently felt this pressure of responsibility, and it had taken me years to acknowledge my personal mental health difficulties. The expectations to perform and to excel
in my ascribed endeavours led to the suppression of any challenging feelings and emotions. I had goals to achieve and people I could not let down, so I could not allow myself to be hindered
by my mental health. When things got to a boiling point and I could not handle my emotions anymore, I knew that mental health was a crucial aspect of my life I needed to be aware of. This is a similar story to most people with mental health difficulties growing up in Asia. It is challenging to express, especially when the symptoms you are feeling are mild. The typical response is to ignore it and keep moving forward. In addition, due to the lack of cultural awareness of mental health, there is a significant lack of mental health services available to
treat any present difficulties. In Thailand, for example, it is more common than you think for victims of depression or schizophrenia to consult a monk in a monastery to see whether they have been plagued by malevolent sprits. In the West, this may seem to be a prosperous idea, but in Thailand, it was the traditional method used throughout recorded history.
In my experience, mental health in Asian communities is a multi-faceted issue that stems from the overarching cultural expectations of duty. We are conditioned to carry out our duties to our families, superiors, and even country, leaving no space for ourselves to voice the issues we may be facing internally. Moreover, we have no historical reference for mental health issues and lack the relevant vocabulary to describe them. Hence, any issues remain suppressed within the individual who will avoid expressing any problems for fear of being unable to carry out their duties. What is lacking is the ability to acknowledge mental health difficulties and understand that they
are a viable excuse for not being able to fulfil your duties, similar to problems arising from physical difficulties. It is also a problem of awareness where most people do not understand the underlying mechanisms and science behind how feelings of depression and anxiety arise. Luckily, with the younger generations having access to social media, mental health awareness is gradually increasing within Asian culture, where people will begin to understand and accept these conditions better.
At Lions Campus, we welcome residents from across the globe. We make it a priority to understand the unique barriers each teen faces regarding mental health, and the cultural histories which have a part to play in their journey thus far.”
