The silent treatment doesn’t work when it comes to preventing suicide (graphic from Military Health).
Yet that’s how many choose to deal with the epidemic of suicide in the Asian American community.
The International Examiner reports that according to Katherine Kam, a journalists who has written extensively about the issue, Asian American parents more than any other group reject professional diagnosis of their children’s depression and mental health.
“They fear that any mental problems will reflect badly on their son or daughter, as well as tarnish their entire lineage,” she reported.
A Center for Disease Control survey found 19 percent of Asian American high school students polled said they had contemplated suicide in the last year. That compares to 16 percent of all high school students.
Many college age students put immense pressure on themselves and not living up to parental expectations can weigh heavily on them.
You can read about the most at risk groups for suicide within the Asian American community in the International Examiner.
