Connecting Support: Social Network Diversity, Mental Health, and Help-Seeking Among Young Asian Americans

• In Event: Medical Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 5. Mental Health

Abstract

Largely due to cultural stigma around mental health issues and “model minority” pressure, Asian American youth are less likely to seek professional help for their mental and emotional problems compared to their White counterparts. This underutilization of mental health services could be dangerous, as suicide is the leading cause of death among Asian Americans ages 15–24. Because of the cultural dimensions of mental health stigma, I posit that the ethnoracial and migration-status composition of one’s social network is relevant for behavior regarding mental health services. Using data from Add Health, I investigate the link between social network characteristics and professional mental health service utilization among young Asian Americans. The network characteristics of interest include network size (in-degree, out-degree, and combined), isolation, and network diversity, in terms of both racial diversity and diversity in migration status. I measure diversity with the Index of Qualitative Variation (IQV). I find that for Asian (and Hispanic) boys, having a diverse network in terms of migration status increases the likelihood of help-seeking, whereas having a racially diverse network does not have a significant effect on help-seeking. For Asian American girls, network diversity does not predict help-seeking behaviors. I also find that for both boys and girls, higher out-degree is associated with a higher level of depression and a lower level of help-seeking. This raises the question of whether and how perceived network size translates into mental and emotional support.

Author

• Hsiu-yu Yang, University of California-Los Angeles