Mental Health

Mental Health

This article about mindfulness sheds important light on how to cope with stress and eliminate unhealthy habits as we embrace the post-pandemic world. Resources and links are also provided for those seeking professional help.

Here

For many of us in the AAPI community, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profoundly negative impact on our mental health. From attending school online to working jobs from the confines of our own rooms, our versions of normalcy were completely and in some cases irrevocably changed. This long period of isolation inflicted a damaging blow to our mental health while also limiting our ability to seek much needed help.

This decline in normal social interaction also bred unhealthy habits such as addiction to social media and the abuse of drugs and alcohol. Even as life slowly returns to normal, mental health problems and harmful addictions persist into the post-COVID era and disproportionately affect the BIPOC community.

Mental Health Disparities Among AAPIs

Compared to other racial/ethnic groups, members of the AAPI community are far less likely to seek professional help for mental health issues than their non-BIPOC counterparts. This is partly due to disparities in healthcare quality and access. The cultural stigma associated with seeking emotional and psychological counseling plays an important role as well. By understanding, educating, and publishing compelling narratives of hope, we have an opportunity to improve the quality of life for the AAPI community and also destigmatize the treatment that so many need to achieve mental well-being.