Do Brown Folks Go to Therapy?
According to Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (2019), South Asians are currently the largest racialized group in Canada. South Asian folks are 85% less likely to seek treatment for their mental health than those who identify as White!
There may be many explanations for this statistic.
Stigma
After all… What will people say? Challenges do exist among South Asian communities – it has been described a “silent mental health crisis” (Mustafa, 2021). Unfortunately, seeking help for one’s mental health has been deeply stigmatized within the community. Many individuals who struggle may be faced with the expectation that they should not be sharing their personal problems with anyone who isn’t part of their immediate family. They may also be told that by speaking to anyone outside of the family can bring shame and judgment to the family.
Culturally and generally speaking, South Asian folks have not been taught to express their emotions outwardly. Instead, they have been taught from a young age that it is inappropriate to express emotions or moments of vulnerability with others. They are taught to keep these difficult emotions to themselves and are asked to navigate them on their own.
Lack of culturally attuned therapy in Canada
One of the most popular therapeutic approaches in Canada is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). It is known to be an effective treatment model for folks who experience anxiety and depression and can provide the same results as antidepressants can provide. However, the studies that suggests these results do not consider cultural contexts.
There is evidence that CBT does not actually work effectively for those from non-western cultural backgrounds! Therapy for racialized folks will look different and should consider cultural contexts, spiritual practices, language barriers, etc.
There can be challenges that are specific to non-western cultures.
Setting boundaries with non-white parents can feel daunting and almost impossible at times. Choosing to prioritize yourself and living life on your own terms can feel selfish – mostly because we have been taught to make decisions based on the greater good of our community, rather than think about ourselves. The culture is collectivist compared to Canadian or western beliefs that are individualistic. Collectivism prioritizes the wellbeing of the community, while individualism prioritizes personal rights.
First and second-generation individuals may find balancing new western ideals with their traditional beliefs to be challenging. Balancing dual-identities can feel extremely overwhelming, confusing, and isolating for folks. This can add to the struggle of navigating societal and families expectations and obligations from immigrant parents.
Guilt
As second generation South Asian folks navigate two different cultures and adopt new individualistic traits, they may experience some guilt.
Guilt can be expressed outwardly from parents or grandparents. This might sound like, “we’ve given up so much for you and you’re still so unhappy that you want to go to therapy?”
It can also be expressed in other ways such as emotional manipulation (Andersen, 2022). This can be challenging to recognize due to its subtlety. It comes in many different forms including the silent treatment, ultimatums, not apologizing or taking accountability when they are in the wrong, dismissing your concerns, etc.
It can feel so difficult to prioritize yourself when you start feeling guilty for it!
The misconception that asking for help means you are weak.
Stoicism is common in South Asian communities. Folks are encouraged or even rewarded for enduring hardship without “complaint”.
This might sound like, “when I was your age, I came to this country with X amount of money, worked 4 jobs, and took care of you and your mom and you never heard me complain.”
We are reminded that our ancestors were courageous, determined, and resilient so that we could live a better life. We are told, “we have done everything for you, how are you feeling anxiety/depressed?”
Sadly, it is possible that our parents and their parents had to live in survival mode because they did not have any other option at the time. Our parents may not have ever had the opportunity to talk to professional until today. They may have also been dismissed or invalidated by their parents when they experienced emotional overwhelm because their parents were busy making ends meet, facing discrimination in a new country, learning a new language and culture, etc. It is possible that our parents never felt safe enough to ask for help growing up.
That does not mean that YOU cannot ask for help or support now. Reaching out for help does not make you weak. In fact, it requires courage, bravery, confidence and strength!
Cohen, A. B., Wu, M. S., & Miller, J. (2016). Religion and culture: Individualism and collectivism in the East and West. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 47(9), 1236-1249.
https://www.thehealthy.com/family/relationships/emotional-manipulation/
Triandis, H. C. (2018). Individualism and collectivism. New York: Routledge.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(23)00144-X/fulltext (didn’t use this one but can re: intergenerational trauma)
