Informal Mental Health Support in the Asian American Community and Culturally Appropriate Strategies for Community-Based Mental Health Organizations

Much of the literature on culturally appropriate services is focused on barriers to service provision; less is known about how organizations can reduce these barriers. Through qualitative interviews, this study examined how informal helpers within the Asian American community are helping individuals with unmet mental health needs and how mainstream mental health organizations might learn from their experiences. Themes identified include (a) informal assistance, (b) working with the community, (c) gaining trust, and (d) cultural and language appropriateness. By implementing some of the strategies suggested in this paper, mainstream organizations can better serve the mental health needs of Asian Americans.