"I Was Determined to Fulfill This Image of Myself That I Wanted of a 'good Asian Student'": A Photovoice Study of Asian American College Student Mental Health

Background: Burgeoning empirical evidence shows that Asian American (AsA) college student mental health has steadily worsened between 2013-2021: 75% increase in depression, 74% increase in anxiety, 52% increase in eating disorders, and 25% increase in suicidal ideation. Additionally, mental health help-seeking is also stigmatized among AsAs potentially contributing to continued low rates of mental health utilization and help-seeking behaviors. Indeed, AsA college students were less likely to know someone who has received mental health services or has been diagnosed with a mental health condition than their Black, white, and Latine peers. Health equity scholars posit that the model minority stereotype continues to obscure and minimize these mental health disparities.

Methods: This study meets an urgent need to expand knowledge about how AsA college students conceptualize mental health and asks the following question: What facilitates or hinders the mental health of AsA undergraduate students from a large public university in central Texas?

This study analyzed Photovoice data collected during the second phase of a larger sequential explanatory mixed methods study that aimed to understand the link between internalized racism and education outcomes, considering the role of psychosocial distress and critical consciousness among AsA college students. Photovoice is a community-based participatory action research approach often used to engage minoritized populations through ethnographic techniques that combine documentary photography, critical dialogue, and lived experience.

Results: Fourteen AsA undergraduate students (M age = 19.77 years old; SD = 1.12) produced photographs and captions and participated in semi-structured interviews to describe mental health. Thematic analysis of the semi-structured interviews and participant-produced captions generated four themes: (1) mind-body health connection and the belief that mental health is about the synchronization of one’s mind and body; (2) environmental connectedness and the view that mental health is connected to nature; (3) social connectedness and how interpersonal relationships influence mental health; and (4) the internalization of the “good Asian student” stereotype and its impact on mental health. Within the fourth theme, participants described how maintaining race-based stereotypes such as the “good Asian student” affected their mental health. Many participants described the pressure to do well academically because it was expected of them from peers, families, and society. One participant said, “I was determined to fulfill this image of myself that I wanted of a ‘good Asian student’ and that I needed to struggle in order to get to that ideal image”.

Conclusions: Findings from this study support and emphasize prior research that indicates that the integration of culturally specific values, norms, and expectations with evidence-based practices in mental health is critical to effectively address the mental health concerns of AsA youth. Photovoice methodology allowed AsA emerging adults to record and reflect on their strengths and challenges. Emerging research has shown that Photovoice can also be used as an intervention with college students to improve their mental health and well-being. Future studies should explore if similar interventions would be effective with students who identify as AsA.