Lexington Asian Mental Health Initiative Balancing Stress & Success: An Asian American Perspective March 29, 2014

Community Planning Group Parents Students Police School Cultural organizations Mental health experts Artists Community researchers from the Institute for Community Health

Year 1 activities Focus group of students Parent survey Student-led student survey School-based art project Forum Student art will be displayed at Lexington High School

Student focus group themes Students care a lot about what their parents think about them “My parents immigrated and struggled. I owe it to them.” Parents see emotional problems as brought on oneself and should be able to be overcome oneself Most likely to reach out to friends vs. adult All cultures and families are different Parents’ own educational experience was extremely competitive (tests to get into MS, HS, college) Parents want them to have a stable life: one job, for life, be taken care of – don’t accept a wider view of what’s possible Expect to suffer/stress now – payoff is later

Parent Survey Designed a 10-item qualitative and quantitative survey to assess: Personal background information (e.g. #of years living in the United States) Emotional health and wellness of Asian youth Current coping strategies used by parents Input for follow-up planning

Data Collection Methods Distributed survey via Lexington cultural organizations Chinese American Association of Lexington Indian Americans of Lexington Analyzed qualitative and quantitative survey responses

Response Statistics Total number of responses received: 152

*Other response choices include: Caucasian, Vietnamese, Japanese, Jewish

How long have you lived in the U.S.? Born here N = 14 1-10 years N = 14 11-20 years N = 50 21-30 years N = 41 31-65 years N = 25 Unable to categorize N = 4

For ‘No’ responses, why not? Don’t want to disappoint parents Importance of family image in community Stigma about having mental health problems Generation gap; kids need privacy Lack of communication skills between parents and teens “It’s a competitive town with competitive kids and parents: no one wants to admit needing help.” I

*Respondents could select more than one choice.

For ‘Other’ responses: Utilize support systems Professionals, who can be hard to find School resources/camps Faith-based community Develop strong communication and foster support systems for children Educate children on stress/anxiety Foster adolescents’ interests/hobbies as an outlet for stress

For “Other” responses: Barriers for Parents: Not enough knowledge/resources to help children effectively Information on Providers is limited Adolescents’ don’t think they are suffering from any mental health issue Self-awareness of stress/anxiety among teens

*Respondents could select more than one choice.

*Respondents could select more than one choice.

What would you like to learn about how to help your child stay emotionally healthy?

How to improve communication Tips for effective communication for parents to discuss sensitive issues Mental Health Information/Awareness Potential emotional/stress triggers Symptoms of emotional distress Coping Methods for Teens Time Management strategies, Work-Life Balance Information on Community Resources Data on the Scope of the Problem

Acknowledgments Community Health Network Area 15 Chinese-American Association of Lexington Indian-Americans of Lexington Town of Lexington Lexington High School Student and parent volunteers Institute for Community Health