Asian Americans and those from the Pacific islands under-utilize mental health services and are more likely than other Americans to stop treatment before problems are resolved, according to a presentation at the Asian American Psychological Association Conference.

Tai Chang, PhD, of the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, said “Even when Asian-Americans do seek therapy, they are less likely than European Americans to reveal their problems, and there are cultural reasons for this: Asian cultures stress ‘saving face’ and relying on family rather than outsiders. While there are many differences between Chinese, Japanese, Koreans and other Asians, there are important similarities too. There’s a stigma associated with personal problems and Asians also hold beliefs that associate health with the environment, and they equate the physical with the emotional and spiritual.” Chang was the on-site conference chair.

Panel discussion focused on a variety of psychological problems affecting Asian Americans, including child abuse, depression, domestic violence, suicides, bullying at school, gambling, eating disorders and body image.

The National Latino and Asian American Study, principally funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, found that Asian Americans are unlikely to seek help for mental illness from any source, and when they do, they report low levels of satisfaction. The NLAAS also found that “among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who do use services, severity of disturbance tends to be high,” perhaps because they “delay seeking treatment until symptoms reach crisis proportion.”