Affinity groups host forum on culture, mental health and suicide prevention

To raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention, the Asian American Culture Club (AACC) and South Asian Student Alliance (SASA) brought in guest speakers from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and the Asian Mental Health Project (AMHP) on December 11. This event was specifically to address the effects that cultural traditions and standards can have on mental health, especially across generations. 

“We want to specifically address the effects that cultural traditions and standards can have on mental health, especially across generations,” AMHP Founder & Executive Director Carrie Zhang said. 

As the conversation of mental health is brought to the surface along with culture, students are learning how to use their heritage as a way to enrich their lives and uplift their well-being. 

“My culture emphasizes perseverance and self-reliance, which has sometimes made it hard to openly talk about mental health, but it has also taught me resilience,” SASA Leader Usha Sarvaiya ’30 said. 

“When we talk about it [emotions], it matters. You don’t want to bottle it in, and it’s about being human,” AFSP Programs Manager Andrea Guzman said. “[Putting] emphasis on mental health is not a sign of weakness, nor should you be ashamed of it.” 

During the presentation, students also learned how mental health can heavily impact other aspects of their wellness, such as their physical state.

“My physical health is heavily reliant on my mental health, so if my mental health falls, so does my health entirely,” Kaylee Suh ’29 said. 

As mental health is an ongoing topic of conversation, students are learning how to take care of themselves and their peers during their academic careers. 

“Mental health is a continuum, not a linear process,” AFSP Board Member, CA Public Policy and Advocacy Committee Member Adriana Avila said. “It’s important to recognize when you are not feeling yourself.”