“They’ll Think I’m Crazy”: A Qualitative Exploration Into South Asian American Mental Health And Unwellness

Abstract

This thesis investigates the complexities of mental health within the South Asian American community, exploring how mental illness is framed, negotiated, and resisted across cultural, intergenerational, and linguistic dynamics. The objective of this study is to understand how South Asian American young adults, aged 18-30, navigate their mental health struggles within a context shaped by cultural stigma, generational differences, and language barriers. By challenging conventional understandings of stigma, this research frames mental health as a negotiation between collective cultural values, personal agency, and societal expectations. Utilizing qualitative methods, the study employs interpretative phenomenological analysis and grounded theory to analyze in-depth interviews with participants recruited through snowball sampling. Frameworks of collective psychiatry, systemic thinking, and racial melancholia are used to understand how cultural stigma and collectivism influence experiences of mental illness and access to care. The findings suggest that South Asian American young adults experience mental health struggles as deeply intertwined with familial expectations and cultural identity. This study underscores the importance of acknowledging cultural dynamics in mental health treatment. By contributing to ongoing conversations about mental health in marginalized communities, this research offers new insights into how cultural factors shape mental wellness and challenges existing frameworks of mental health care.