Asian Pride & Prejudice: The Relationship Between Ethnic Identity & Mental Illness Stigma

Abstract

As Asian health professionals increasingly diversify the medical workplace, their early upbringing – characterized by acculturation, social identity, and “face” concern – may potentially exert influence on their own perceptions of mental illness. Such perceptions, often stigmatizing against others, could impact provision of medical care to the community at large. This study examines the hypothesized correlation between 1) strength of ethnic identity – as measured by an adapted version of the East Asian Ethnic Identity Scale – and 2) degree of mental illness stigma – as measured by an adapted pre-medical student version of the Mental Illness: Clinician’s Attitudes Scale. Conclusions will stem from statistical analysis of self-report online survey responses from Asian full-time college students enrolled in healthcare-oriented undergraduate studies (i.e. medicine, nursing, physical therapy, etc.). The broad aim of this study is to discern how the influence of ethnic identity could potentially interact with and predict mental illness stigma in the future patient care provided by aspiring Asian healthcare professionals. My presentation will discuss the literature-based premise for studying the intersection of culture and stigma, and I will summarize proposed protocol for the research process.