Asian and Pacific Islander mental health: Quick facts
Demographics
According to the 2020 U.S. Census:
- There are over 20.6 million people in the U.S. who identify as Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander. This number is projected to reach 46 million by 2060.
- 690,000 people identified as Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
- 900,000 individuals identified as Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander in combination with another race.
- Of the API population in the U.S., over 4 million are of Chinese descent and another 4 million are of Asian Indian descent.
- 73% of API residents and 86% of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders are U.S. citizens.
- APIs make up 10% or more of the Hawai’i, California, and New Jersey populations.
The Pew Research Center reports that:
- API Americans are less likely than non-Asian Americans to live in poverty (10% of API compared to 13% of non-Asian Americans).
- Nearly 54% of Asian Americans and 24.4% of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- One in four Asian Americans live in multigenerational households.
Prevalence
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) National Survey on Drug Use and Health:
Asian adults
16.8%
of Asian adults experienced a mental health condition within the past year
4.1%
of Asian adults experienced a serious mental illness within the past year
12.3%
of Asian adults received mental health treatment within the past year
6.7%
of Asian adults thought they should get mental health treatment but did not seek it out within the past year
6.3%
of Asian adults experienced a major depressive episode (MD) within the past year
3.4%
of Asian adults had serious thoughts of suicide within the past year
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults
16.1%
of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults experienced a mental health condition within the past year
3.5%
of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults experienced a serious mental illness within the past year
9.4%
of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults who experienced a co-occurring substance use disorder in addition to mental health condition
4.3%
of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults experienced an MDE within the past year
6.8%
of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults have had serious thoughts of suicide within the past year
0.1%
of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults made plans for suicide within the past year
According to MHA’s 2023 State of Mental Health in America report:
- 22% of Asian youth who experienced a major depressive episode received specialty mental health care within the past year
- Of the 50 U.S. states, Hawai’i ranks second as the lowest prevalence of mental illness and highest rates of access to care for adults; for youth, however, Hawai’i ranks 43rd
Take a Mental Health Test
If you are struggling with your mental health, take an anonymous, free, and private mental health test. It only takes a few minutes, and after you are finished you will be given information about the next steps you can take based on the results.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting HELLO to 741741.