Mental Health of Asian American Older Adults: Contemporary Issues and Future Directions

Giyeon Kim; Sylvia Y Wang; Soohyun Park; Stacy W Yun

doi:10.1093/geroni/igaa037

Mental Health of Asian American Older Adults: Contemporary Issues and Future Directions

Innov Aging. 2020 Aug 24;4(5):igaa037. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igaa037. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Giyeon Kim¹, Sylvia Y Wang², Soohyun Park³, Stacy W Yun⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea.
² Department of Psychology, Misericordia University, Dallas, Pennsylvania.
³ Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.
⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

Abstract

Given the increased attention to older Asian Americans due to their increasing numbers in the United States, this article aims to provide a collective appraisal of older Asian American mental health issues by reviewing trends in older Asian American mental health research over the past 2 decades. This review article provides an overview of the current state of mental health and care research on older Asian Americans and vital factors associated with older Asian American mental health and care. We also identify gaps in current research on Asian American mental health issues and propose 5 potential areas for future research into which gerontologists need to put more effort during the next decade. Ways to reduce disparities in mental health and improve the quality of mental health of older Asian Americans are also discussed.

Keywords: Asian American; Health disparities; Mental health; Mental health care; Older adults.