Why Mental Health?
Learn more about why we see this journey as crucial
A Shared Culture of Care
Mental health care shouldn’t be one size fits all. With more than 20 subgroups in the US, the Asian community includes diverse languages, experiences, cultures, and histories. Regardless of our backgrounds, we deserve mental health care that honors and acknowledges these unique parts of who we are.
But the mainstream mental health care system continues to fail us. It doesn’t make much room for who we are—as Asian individuals or as a collective. We’re sometimes made to feel that to access mental health care we need to check our cultures and identities at the door.
On top of that, there are structural barriers. With insurance issues, stigma around mental health, language barriers, and poverty, so many of us struggle to get the care we deserve.
At AMHC, we’re fostering a shared culture of mental health care. We’re examining how historical and systemic barriers, our experiences, and our cultures impact our community’s mental wellbeing. We’re also going back to our roots and celebrating the ways Asian cultures already center healing and care.
The mental health journey can be an individual path, but it’s also an opportunity for community transformation. We’re working to build a world where we can all receive the care we deserve: care that recognizes who we are, where we’ve come from, and the future we want to build together.
The Need
Youth Suicide Crisis
Youth suicide is a unique crisis facing Asian Americans: In 2022, suicide was the leading cause of death among Asians aged 15–24, the only demographic with suicide as the leading cause of death.
Low Support-Seeking Rates
Asian Americans are the racial group least likely to seek services for mental health support, three times less likely than their white counterparts.
Provider Shortage
There aren’t enough providers to meet the growing need for mental health support: In 2024, more than half of all providers surveyed by American Psychological Association did not have openings to take on new clients
Lack of Asian Providers
Despite the higher need for care, Asians are underrepresented in mental health professions: In 2021, only 4% of psychologists across the country identified as Asian American.
tool]. Retrieved [6/18/2025], from http://www.apa.org/workforce/data-tools/demographics.aspx.
Inadequate Insurance
Insurance coverage doesn’t meet the mental health needs of most Americans: in 2021 only 33% of those on private insurance with a mental or behavioral health diagnosis were able to access care with a specialist (such as a therapist or psychiatrist).
High Therapy Costs
Accessing good quality care is prohibitively expensive: In 2024, the average cost for a therapy session without insurance was $143
