Why Are 65+ Female Asian Americans Killing Themselves 10x More Than Female White Elders?

But, why this particular group? Many people think, and some data also support that Asian Americans are well-off and socially well-connected as we see Asian doctors and lawyers all around.

"What’s good of living more? I think I lived enough.” Ms. Li said. Cindy Li is a 78-year-old Chinese immigrant woman in California who is going through depression since she lost her husband.

I could not dare to say, “Things will get better. Look on the brighter side!” The weight of her past and pain of her present were just too heavy.

After her husband passed away 5 years ago, she spent most of her time by herself – with rare visits from her children living on the opposite coast. Painfully swallowing 14 different medications each day, she was also receiving clinical treatments, which made her feel even more depressed.

Approximately 356,000 elderly Asian American women have severe mental disorders. Some subgroups of these women have higher suicide rate than women of all other ages and races – 10 times higher than older white women – and have the lowest mental health service utilization.

Given these numbers, it is essential to examine why they suffer more and what is keeping them away from accessing mental health service systems because after all, these are not just numbers but our parents and family. And, to prevent certain types of a group having significant disadvantages in the society, we need creative approaches to finding solutions.

Whether it is from loss of loved ones or any sources of stress, constant anxiety that harmfully affect everyday lives is a mental illness. It is, of course, normal to feel stressed during stressful times, but ceaselessness of the feeling is dangerous. It is directly connected to brain and body damage, suicide for the most severe cases.

But, why this particular group? Many people think, and some data also support that Asian Americans are well-off and socially well-connected as we see Asian doctors and lawyers all around.

However, there are two consistent findings from different research for Asians, especially Asian older women: (1) cumulative disadvantages throughout their lifetimes (stressors from many forms of “-ism”) and (2) low mental health care service utilization.

Research from Harvard Medical School points out that older Asian American population face many critical acculturation stressors. Sudden changes in lifestyle due to immigration, loss of existing social networks, and language barrier in daily lives of using public services are examples.

Also, because they are both minority and women, social prejudice and discrimination also play roles. Even worse, stress adds up at home. In addition to heavy family duties, physical and verbal abuse from families are 3 times more prevalent among Asian American seniors than that of the national average. As a result, many elderly Asian Americans suffer from major depression symptoms – up to 40% higher in sampled groups than other ethnicities.

The worst part is that, unlike Ms. Li, most of Asian female older adults can’t seek for mental healthcare. Financially, the average personal income for older Asian women is $14,602, nearly a quarter of median older adults. Culturally, despite different nationalities and cultures within Asian Americans, there is a norm that mental illness is a sinful shame. That is why there is a high preference for informal family care, which creates a vicious cycle of family burden, increased stressors, and potential abuse. Language and cultural barrier also take huge parts because this population has the highest rate of linguistic isolation. Indeed, it is more stressful to talk to a psychologist or a psychiatrist in a language that one cannot express his or her own situations well.

We need bolder solutions.

Current public programs don’t address these issues adequately. Medicare only provides drugs for mental health care while Medicaid is failing to provide contextually appropriate services to an ethnic community. Affordable Care Act is better regarding connecting Asian communities to support private sector organizations and to put emphasis on preventative services, but there is little evidence of improvement on this specific issue.

Modifying public programs is necessary, but merely tweaking them a little will not be effective. We need bolder solutions.

One approach could be building nonprofit community-based facilities for unemployed Asian older women. Qualified participants will gather in these facilities to produce goods and services collectively, and the government will provide conditional subsidies and networks until they become self-sustainable. For instance, if one facility is set up in LA Koreatown, female Korean elders can come together and bake the regional-best rice cakes with collective experiences. With subsidies and networks from the local government, the facility can bid the cakes for a snack provider spot in U.S. Army. Profits generated from this facility will repay taxes from subsidies while lowering financial barrier of the members. Importantly, these communities can be a social support to each other, which is one of the most effective sources to improve mental health in health psychology.

Surely, numerous more factors need to be considered. Yet, some positive notes are that the government will spend less money on their healthcare and skill sets of female Asian elderly will become increasingly more diverse. Also, technology can ensure the health improvements in this community through streamline communication of individuals in the community and healthcare providers. The key to this idea is integrating technology and policy because technology has enough power to bring people together and sustain.

We shouldn’t have rising number of similar or worse cases of Ms. Li. Mental disorders among older individuals should be more carefully examined and researched because elders feeling marginalized is detrimental to all individuals in the society. If we can only expect repetitive days alone with a sentiment of uselessness from society, young people have not much to look forward to.