Clinical Considerations When Working with Asian American Children and Adolescents

Abstract

There are a number of reasons Asian American children and adolescents are coming to the attention of mental health providers. In addition to the challenge of satisfactorily navigating through developmental stages, they may have to do so in a country whose culture and customs are either unfamiliar to their parents or to themselves. Other etiological reasons may include difficulties in identity formation and consolidation, including the compounded difficulties of simultaneous ethnic/sexual identity formation, acculturation challenges (e.g., acculturation gap between parents and children), and parental psychopathology, which can be challenging considering that many Asian parents may not recognize or seek help for themselves. Despite past research which has found Asian children and adolescents to have low rates of mental illness, there is also great evidence to support that illnesses and dysfunction such as depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, substance abuse and dependence, and delinquent behaviors exist at significant rates and are critical concerns. This chapter will describe several points to consider when working with Asian children and their families in addition to special consideration for strength-based treatments when working with Asian American families. Finally, this chapter will conclude with a section providing clinical recommendations or considerations that may help provide the reader with a "frame" when working with acculturation stressors and their impact in Asian children and adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)