Stigma & discrimination in Korean community - what we can do to help

As a Like Minds, Like Mine project worker of Chinese descent I work closely with the Asian community.

The Like Minds project is eager to spread the message among ethnic communities that it is important to provide an inclusive environment to all Asian people who experience mental illness. 

To this end, a Korean Advisory group is now running under Kai Xin Xing Dong (the Chinese Like Minds Project). Its aim is to explore the issues of stigma and discrimination associated with Korean people who experience mental illness in the Auckland region.

I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to work with well-respected Korean health professionals who share many of our concerns. Stigma and discrimination present barriers to the health and recovery of Korean people.

We do not want this situation to be ignored any longer - action is required urgently. 

Losing face a big issue for Korean people

Very often families keep mental illness a secret because of the fear of ‘losing face’, which is common in Korean communities.

Korean communities perceive mental illness as an ailment that can be caught from others, resulting in feelings of guilt and shame of being unable to protect their loved ones from getting well. Often people suffer in silence in order to not to bring shame to their family.

The New Zealand Korean community is relatively small and has close connections to local church groups.  In order to find solutions, they tend to go back to Korea to seek psychiatric interventions. However this can be a huge financial burden on the whole family.

In one extreme scenario, a family moved back to Korea because a family member had been seen by a crisis team on their own property. This was thought to bring stigma to the whole family.

Cultural competence training a must

The situation could have been avoided had the crisis team been trained on cultural competencies around the issue of stigma and discrimination associated with Korean people who experience mental illness.

Another issue is Korean people tending to minimise their mental health issues when being assessed, because Korean culture does not encourage emotional expression in public.

Unfortunately, many professionals do not have cultural competence training to be able to recognise the implications of such behaviour.

The recent incident of a Korean father who was found dead before his wife and daughter’s funeral, speaks to the truth about how hiding mental distress needs to be addressed urgently.

It is an issue all society needs to look at to find ways to better support migrants to settle in New Zealand.

Furthermore, professionals should be given relevant information and resources to assist in their understanding of what is needed from them in their treatment of Asian patients.

Kai Xin Xing Dong website to include Korean information

The KXXD website will soon include Korean information and resources in English to encourage professionals to share information and knowledge with Korean people who experience mental illness.

Perhaps you have some ideas, too, to help us alleviate these concerns?

Ivan Yeo, Mental Health Promoter, Like Minds