A Narrative Inquiry of East Asian Parents and Mental Health in Canada: Critical Openings for Anti-Racism Strategies in Knowledge Translation

Abstract

Background: Anti-Asian racism is linked with adverse mental health conditions in young East Asian populations. There is a need to explore how to develop mental health resources for East Asian parents, yet minimal research explores anti-racism strategies for this work. Purpose: The objectives were to: open a critical dialogue for developing anti-racism strategies for mental health knowledge translation (KT) resource development, and explore complexities with engaging East Asian parents when developing KT resources. Methods: A narrative inquiry was conducted to collect East Asian parent stories on anti-racism strategies and mental health. East Asian parents across Canada engaged in semi-structured interviews between August to October 2022. Dialogic/performance analysis was used to inductively analyze the data. Findings: Three composite counter-narratives emerged from the data: 1) Storying issues of access within child mental health KT; 2) Seeking understanding and solidarity for the East Asian identity and story; 3) Unlearning, breaking barriers, and storying resistance. The composite narratives wove together seven storylines: a) availability and affordability, b) language and vocabulary barriers, c) lack of representation, d) issues of representation: power and whiteness, e) East Asian standpoint epistemology, f) breaking cycles, g) culture as a source of strength. Conclusion: The findings highlighted the complexities of engaging East Asian parents and recommended the need for an East Asian standpoint epistemology when developing child mental health KT resources and counter-spaces as a way to facilitate the centrality of East Asian standpoint epistemologies. These anti-racism strategies may promote solidarity for shared experiences beyond the white gaze and spaces.