New York State Issues Grants To Launch Mental Health Programs Targeting Asian-Americans, Hispanics

Main Category: Mental Health
Article Date: 17 Sep 2008 - 8:00 PST

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New York state officials have awarded more than $900,000 in grants to conduct public awareness campaigns to address mental health among elderly Asian-American women and Hispanic teenagers, the Epoch Times reports (Epoch Times, 9/14). The Visiting Nurse Regional Health Care System in Flushing, N.Y., will receive $150,000 from the state to conduct mental health workshops for Asian-American women and help connect the women with other existing mental health resources in the state. The first workshop will focus on stigma and depression treatment and will be available in Chinese, while future workshops will be available in Chinese and Korean.

The suicide rate for Asian-American women ages 65 and older in New York City is 11.6 per 100,000 people -- about twice the rate of white women in the same age group -- according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Advocates contend that Asian-American women might feel isolated from the rest of the community and have trouble adjusting to a new culture. In addition, they often do not tell others of their depression. "This is a very sensitive issue. People do not want to admit to any problems," Liz Ho, director of Asian Services for the visiting nurse program, said (Colangelo, New York Daily News, 9/14).

Five other institutions also will receive portions of the grant money (Epoch Times, 9/14).

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