Suicide stigma discussed at community event

CHICAGO: Increased instances of suicides among Asian Americans have not only become a matter of deep concern to them, but more importantly beginning to impact as a stigma, which needs to be addressed and redressed.

As a direct repercussion of this unfortunate situation Asian American Suicide Prevention Initiative (AASPI) hosted a community event last week that addressed the issue of suicide mortality among Asian Americans. 

Over 50 concerned community members attended the awareness event, which took place at the UIC College of Nursing.  The event featured academic research on suicide among Asian Americans, as well as personal stories of suicide survivors (those who have lost a loved one to suicide).

Dr Aruna Jha presented two studies that she completed in the past two years on Asian Americans and mental health in Illinois.  In her first study, Jha used a published list of Asian American names to disaggregate Illinois mortality data for 5 years (1999-2003).  Jha's analysis found that suicide in Asian Americans was under-counted by at least 30% due to racial data misclassification, and that suicide rates were higher among men and individuals over the age of 50.

In her second study, Jha conducted a focus group with 10 masters - trained mental health providers about suicide in Asian Americans.  Jha's focus group study revealed a number of key insights, among them the importance of organizing a pan-Asian effort to raise awareness of suicide and prevention resources.

Dr Joel Wong presented two of his recently completed national research studies on Asian Americans' suicidal thoughts.  Among Asian American college students who had seriously considered killing themselves, the three most common events that occurred prior to the onset of suicidal thoughts were:  family problems (48%), academic problems (43%), and financial problems (25%).  In another study, Wong found that high levels of family cohesion were related to a reduced likelihood of having serious suicidal thoughts among Asian American adults.

The Asian American Suicide Prevention Initiative (AASPI) began as a volunteer organization in 2004 following several suicides among Asian Americans in the Chicago area; its mission is to reduce suicide in Asian American communities in Illinois through education and empowerment.