Intersection of suicidality and substance abuse among young Asian-American women: implications for developing interventions in young adulthood.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the current literature uncovering specific factors associated with self-harm and suicidality among this population. Design/methodology/approach – Of an original 32 articles, 12 were chosen for in-depth empirical review due to relevance to the topics at hand, quality of research, and significance of findings. Out of 12, six articles examined the barriers of mental health utilization among this population. Findings – The literature review revealed that the limited research only aims to understand the intersection of suicidality, mental health, and substance abuse among this population. The paper also found that there are few existing interventions specifically tailored to this population. Research limitations/implications – Six articles examined substance use and mental health/suicidality. Among these articles, only three examined the relationship between substance use and mental health, while the other three studied suicidality/mental health alone. This shows a gap in existing literature investigating the comorbid relationship between mental health issues and substance use issues among Asian-American women. Given the extensive research on the correlation between substance use and suicidality, or substance use and mental illness among other ethnic/racial groups, it is imperative to address this comorbid relationship among Asian Pacific Islander women as well. Practical implications – It is imperative for professionals in the fields of public health, mental health, medicine, and substance abuse to proactively combat the “model minority” myth and to design and implement interventions targeting family dynamics, coping with immigration/acculturative stresses, mental illnesses, suicidal behaviors, and substance abuse among Asian-American populations across the developmental lifespan. Social implications – The pernicious effects of the “model minority” myth must be recognized as a public health problem, as it contributes to the under-diagnosis and under-treatment of Asian-Americans in general, and young Asian-American women in particular, as they are often suffering mental illnesses and comorbid substance abuse problems alone. Future studies should include large-scale sampling of various Asian ethnic subgroups, in order to investigate potential differences in suicidal behaviors and comorbid substance abuse among Asian subpopulations. Originality/value – The paper has provided specific suggestions for interventions to adequately respond to the mental health needs of young Asian-American women. These include addressing the cultural stigma and shame of seeking help, underlying family origin issues, and excessive alcohol and drug use as unsafe coping, as well as incorporating empowerment-based and mind-body components to foster an intervention targeting suicidality among Asian-American women in early adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]