Abstract
My parents have never said sorry - how leadership and storytelling are transforming behavioral health advocacy across asian american, native hawaiian, and pacific islander communities
Marielle Reataza, MD, MSHPL
National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse (NAPAFASA), Alhambra, CA
APHA 2025 Annual Meeting and Expo
Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) are the least likely of all racial/ethnic groups in the U.S. to seek behavioral health services; yet, the leading cause of preventable death among AANHPI transitional-aged youth 15-24 is suicide. Generally, mental health and addiction are considered taboo topics across AANHPI communities, and individuals are often reluctant to disclose such difficulties openly for fear of punishment or social ostracism. Community-based organizations have championed several initiatives alongside health departments to improve access to behavioral health services, including improved educational campaigns, language access, insurance coverage, and telehealth; however, none of these initiatives directly tackle the cultural stigma associated with having a mental health condition nor the desire to seek services to address it. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, calls for sharing personal impact stories have risen as a strategy to reduce this stigma and touch upon other polarizing topics. This presentation further explores the impact of personal storytelling and leadership by people with lived/living experiences on behavioral health services, research, policy change, positive youth development, and the necessary shifts in cultural norms to support an evolving and more accurate understanding of mental health and what it means to be “well.”
Administration, management, leadership Advocacy for health and health education Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs Program planning