Search

The objective of this research was to use intersectionality to explore Asian men's experiences of stigma and mental illness to tease out the ways in which stigma of mental illness among Asian men is mediated by age, immigration experiences, sexual and gender identities, racism and racialization processes, normative expectations about masculinity, and material inequality. The data for this research are based on a 4-year, multi-site (Calgary, Vancouver, and Toronto) mixed-methods intervention study that evaluated the effectiveness of interventions in reducing self and social mental health stigma among Asian men (Livingston et al. International Journal of Social Psychiatry 64, 679-689, 2018; Guruge et al. Contemporary Clinical Trials 71, 133–139, 2018). Participants were Asian men living with or affected by mental illness and community leaders interested in stigma reduction and advocacy. Quantitative survey data captured participants' self-reports of stigma, psychological flexibility, valued life domains, mindfulness, and empowerment readiness. Qualitative data included focus group transcripts, field notes, and participants' logs about anti-stigma activities in their communities. The data analyzed here are from ten pre-intervention and seven post-intervention focus groups conducted at the Vancouver site. The data collected pre- and post-interventions revealed that men understand and experience stigma as inextricably linked to social location, specifically age, race, masculinity, ethnicity, and time of migration. Our analysis also revealed that mental health stigma cannot be understood in isolation of other social and structural barriers. The application of intersectional frameworks must figure prominently in psychological research and in public health policies that seek to reduce mental health stigma in racialized communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to racism, xenophobic nationalism, acculturation pressures and patriarchal social relations, Asian men in Western societies may be particularly susceptible to negative experiences and beliefs regarding mental illness and treatment services. Aims: We examine factors associated with stigma toward mental illness among Asian men in Canada. Methods: Between 2013 and 2017, 428 self-identified Asian men living in proximity to Vancouver, Canada, were recruited and completed self-administered questionnaires assessing social stigma and self-stigma. The degree to which these variables were associated with the men’s sociodemographic characteristics was analyzed. Results: Multivariable regression revealed that social stigma was significantly predicted by age, immigration, employment status and experience with mental illness. Together, these variables accounted for 12.36% of variance in social stigma. Interaction terms were added to the regression models to examine whether the effects of immigration on social stigma varied by age and experience with mental illness, but none of the interaction terms were statistically significant. Among the 94 Asian men identified as living with mental illness, self-stigma was predicted by age, immigration and employment status, which together accounted for 14.97% of variance in self-stigma. Conclusion: These results offer new knowledge about the factors predicting stigma toward mental illness among Asian men in Western societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]