A meeting held by SAMHSA’s Office of Behavioral Health Equity (OBHE) in 2015 focused on understanding behavioral health issues related to men and boys of color – namely Black/African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) – across the United States. At the convening, leaders of the AANHPI community noted that there was limited research on AANHPI men and boys, despite the recent report that Asian Americans (AAs) are the fastest growing ethnic group and are expected to be the largest immigrant group by 2055. Further, although Southeast Asians and Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) tend to experience similar educational and socioeconomic disparities as Black, Latino, and Native American men and boys, behavioral health programs or resources are limited for these populations.
A year later in 2016, SAMHS’s OBHE issued a brief that provided a background on AANHPI communities and highlighted research covering a spectrum of behavioral health issues including:
- Behavioral health issues
- Ethnic and cultural factors
- Social determinants of health
This strategy brief highlights essential approaches for addressing behavioral health disparities and providing effective services for AANHPI boys and men. Seven practice strategies are highlighted for clinicians, substance abuse counselors, program coordinators, educators, and leaders of community groups. Four systemic and institutional strategies are provided for local, state and federal policy makers and staff, funding agencies, and other stakeholders.
Links to Resource:
- Advancing Best Practices in Behavioral Health for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Boys and Men (pdf)
- Visit store.samhsa.gov to order a copy or view more information on this publication
- 2016 OBHE brief: A snapshot of Behavioral Health Issues for Asian American/Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander Boys and Men: Jumpstarting an Overdue Conversation (pdf)
- Visit SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Equity page for more behavioral health resources.
Date: 2018