Mental Health Stigma Is Real Especially In ‘Desi’ Communities

Mental health is an essential aspect of overall health and well-being. However, in many South Asian cultures, mental health is still stigmatized and seen as a taboo topic. This stigma often prevents individuals from seeking help and accessing mental health services, resulting in a lack of support and resources for those struggling with their mental health.  

It is not uncommon for ‘Desi,’ another term for Southeast Asians, individuals to feel stigmatized if they’re seeking therapy. This stigma often stems from cultural norms and values prioritizing family ‘honor’ and reputation over individual well-being. Mental health conditions are often perceived as a ‘weakness’ or a ‘personal failing’ instead of valid things that one may be experiencing. 

Desi Mental Health Stigma

So how does the stigma around therapy and talking about mental health impact the Desi community? 

Glad you asked! 

For starters, most individuals in Desi communities see mental health struggles as a sign of weakness and something that only individuals in the western cultures experience. As someone who is Desi, I did not experience openness around individuals wanting to talk about their mental health growing up. They often think something must be ‘wrong’ with them and it’s only them that’s having those struggles. 

When these conversations aren’t happening with each other, it allows for lack of education and allows individuals to say things like ‘just think positive,’ or ‘you don’t have that bad’ or ‘just get over it.’ This minimizes the person’s experience and makes them feel like they can change this on their own but are failing to do so. 

Individuals with mental health struggles are often seen as ostracized by their families and friends and may even face discrimination in the workplace. Additionally, individuals may avoid seeking help for fear of being labeled as weak or crazy.

All of these factors make it difficult to seek therapy and lack of access to therapy makes it even more challenging to want to seek support. 

Lack of Access to Therapy

Reasons behind lack of access to therapy

Lack of access to therapy is another significant issue faced by the South Asian community. The reasons for this include a shortage of mental health professionals who understand the cultural nuances of the community, financial constraints, and a lack of awareness about the benefits of therapy.

As a Desi therapist, I’ve heard stories from my Desi clients that they didn’t feel like their previous therapist could understand the cultural nuances and it made it challenging for them to fully open up to them. I’ve also heard from them that their therapist was suggesting they ‘cut off’ their family if they were not able to understand their needs, which did not seem like a viable option to them as family is highly valued in the culture. 

Impact of lack of access to therapy

When there is lack of access to therapy, it can worsen symptoms. This can affect your quality of life, relationships, and work performance. Additionally, the stigma surrounding mental health can cause individuals to suffer in silence, leading to isolation and further deterioration of their mental health.

So what can we do about it?

Solutions

Strategies to combat Desi mental health stigma

To combat this stigma, raising awareness about mental health issues will help reduce the shame that often gets tied to seeking help. This can be achieved through community outreach programs, education, and advocacy campaigns. Providing culturally competent mental health services is crucial to ensure that individuals feel comfortable seeking help.

Improving access to therapy and other mental health services

Improving access to therapy and other mental health services is crucial to ensure individuals receive the needed help. This can be achieved through funding mental health programs, increasing the number of mental health professionals who understand the cultural nuances of the South Asian community, and reducing the financial burden of accessing therapy.

Breaking the Stigma and Improving Access: Addressing Desi Mental Health Challenges

Several steps can be taken to break the stigma surrounding mental health in Desi communities and improve access to therapy. Education and awareness campaigns can help to raise awareness about mental health conditions and reduce stigma. It is also crucial to provide culturally sensitive mental health services sensitive to Desi individuals' unique cultural values and experiences.

Increasing access to mental health services in Desi communities can be achieved by improving the availability of resources such as community health clinics and teletherapy services. Additionally, insurance providers should be encouraged to cover mental health services to make them more affordable and accessible to those in need.

On an individual level, all of us as part of the Desi community can take a small step towards sharing what may be going on for you and normalizing that challenges are part of our journey. It may help someone else realize they’re not alone. It may be that you speak to family members or friends when they’re telling someone to ‘just be positive’ or ‘get over it’ and help them understand the impact of their words. 

This won’t be easy and it will make you uncomfortable but it’s important that we each take a small step towards discomfort to shift culture. If we do nothing, then we guarantee the same result but if we all decide that mental health is just as important as physical health and stop shaming others, we get a little closer to creating a compassionate community. Change is hard but as Dr. Kenneth Hardy says, “I would rather have nothing changed from doing something than nothing change from doing nothing.”