Mind, heart, and ψυχή(psyche)

Presenter: Rev. Daniel H. Yang, M.Div., BCC

Date: March 18, 2023

​

​

Presenter disclosure information:

​

Hi! I have nothing to disclose, unless I inadvertently bought shady stocks that grind against the values of this conference…

​

if so, oops, sorry Phyllis.

​

I. Introduction & goal of presentation

​

• Certified Chaplain, Presbyterian minister PC(USA)

​

• Specializing in pediatric spiritual care, combined with behavioral health

​

• Goal:
• to normalize the truth that we all suffer mentally and emotionally and therefore need caregivers to tend to our suffering
• to normalize the truth that, while we suffer, there are parts within us that do not suffer. There are parts within us that are full of wholeness and beauty.
• to increase compassion toward self and others

​

​

​

​

​

Bite sized information about me:

​

* Paw-rent of a bulldog named “Butter(scotch).”

​

* Favorite hymn: “All creatures of our God and King”

​

*If not Jesus: Michael J. Jordan

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

II. Organizing Ethic

of Christian Faith

​

• Loving God, loving neighbor through the model of Jesus Christ (Matt. 22:27-30)

​

• Creating a home: Thomas E. Reynolds speaks of home as not merely a physical space but a “a space marked by the presence of other people.” (Vulnerable Communion, 67)

​

​

​

​

Artwork by Soren Glassing

​

​

​

III. Equity: mental health engagement

• “According to SAMHSA, AAPIs are less likely to reach out for help than other races and ethnic group.” (Tanap, “Why Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders Don’t go to Therapy” in NAMI, July 25, 2019, c.f., “AAPI Heritage Month: We Aren’t Doing Enough to Help AAPI Youth” which references stats taken 2019, authored by Charles Ingoglia, Pres of National Council for Mental Well-being)

​

• “While 18% of the general population sought mental health services and resources, only 8.6% of Asian Americans did so. A related study found that white U.S. citizens take advantage of mental health services at three times the rate of Asian Americans.” (data taken from the National Latino and Asian American Study)

​

• Result: (1) Upon admission to a behavioral health hospital, the illness level if very high for AAPI persons; takeaway: 2) therapy, psychiatry, etc… are resources that we are not tapping into! – You tap into this resource not for the here and now, but when life really gets tough.

​

III. Equity: mental health resources

​

• Outpatient therapy------Partial hospital/day program-------- In-patient

​

• The people: (1) physicians; (2) nurses; (3) social workers; (4) mental health workers; (5) psychosocial rehab therapists; (6) registered dieticians; (7) core volunteers;(8) chaplains; (9) unit assistants

​

• Personal engagement with therapy, aka “emotional oil change.”

​

III. Equity: tapping into the resource

​

• Step 1: Confer w Primary physician – mental health is a medical issue!

​

• Step 2: Look for culturally fluent, humble providers
• One has a right to language-access services

​

• Step 3: Figure out which clinician works and feels right for you.

​

If insurance and or costs are an issue, make sure to contact the local health or mental health clinics.

​

​

​

​

IV. AAPI Adolescent Mental Health

​

• Serious mental illness, depression, and suicidal thoughts have all risen in the past several years (c.f., Asian American / Pacific Islander Communities and Mental Health | Mental Health America (mhanational.org)
• Maladaptive perfectionism
• Perpetual foreigner ascription
• Etc. (content pulled from “Issues to Consider When Engaging Asian American Pacific Islander Youth in Psychiatric Care,” from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry”)

​

• Acculturative stress and its degrees
• Acculturation – “the process by which immigrants to the U.S. navigate the challenges of balancing their cultural traditions and American mainstream culture.” (Lu and Do, “Acculturation and Stress within Asian/Asian American Immigrant Families; the following image is also taken from this article)

​

​

​

​

Among the 4 acculturation modalities,

integration is considered optimal.

​

​

Recommendations for parental figures:

​

* Grounding space(s)

​

* Having honest, open dialogue

​

• Instilling cultural pride

​

​

​

​

V. AAPI + LGBTQ Adolescent Mental Health:

what’s hurting

(Information is provided by The Trevor Project Report: “Asian American and Pacific Islander LGBTQ Youth Face Unique Mental Health Challenges, Increased Racial and Ethnic Discrimination,” published on April 19, 2022 by Trevor News)

• “40% of AAPI LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide in the past year, including 50% of AAPI transgender and nonbinary youth and 49% of Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian LGBTQ youth”

​

• “16% of AAPI LGBTQ youth reported a suicide attempt in the past year, including 21% of AAPI transgender and nonbinary youth and 20% of Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian LGBTQ youth.”

​

• Not fully welcome in their own ethnic communities due to “homophobia or general lack of understanding of their identities,” and among the LGBTQ community, they experience “racism and xenophobia.” (Nakamura et al., 2013 as principal source; the material was gleaned from the written report from The Trevor Project)

​

​

V. AAPI + LGBTQ Adolescent Mental Health:

what’s helping

​

• Connection to culture
• If race/ethnicity was deemed important, then there is less of a chance of suicide attempts (nearly double in lowering the odds)

​

• Supportive people
• High levels of family support results in 40% lower odds of attempting suicide vs. a person with low levels
• High levels of friend support results in 50% lower odds of attempting suicide vs a person with low levels

​

• Safe and embracing spaces – self explanatory

​

Things that we ALL want.

​

​

​

​

VI. Charge to Spiritual Caregivers

​

• Reaching across ideological lines and offering information

​

• What’s “medical ethics” got do with this? (subject: conscientious objection)

​

• Closing Blessing “I need you, you need me, we’re all a part of God’s body.”

​

​

​

Thank you

Presenter: Rev. Daniel H. Yang, M.Div., BCC

Date: March 18, 2023