From: rich@math.missouri.edu
Subject: More Evidence of Toxicity of US Obstetrics
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive

(also see http://www.math.missouri.edu/~rich/MGM/birthUSA3.txt)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061130/hl_afp/usasiaimmigrants_061130221716

US Asians show lowest level of mental health problems: report

Thu Nov 30, 5:17 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Asian Americans, both immigrants and those born
in the United States, experience far fewer psychiatric disorders
than any other group in the country, according to a new survey.

University of Washington sociologist and survey lead author David
Takeuchi said that less than a quarter of Asian Americans will
experience mental health problems in their lifetime, compared with
a national average of 48 percent for all people.

TAKEUCHI SAID THE STUDY ALSO SHOWED THAT IMMIGRANTS FROM ASIA HAVE
LOWER RATES OF PSYCHIATRIC PROBLEMS THAN ASIANS BORN IN THE UNITED
STATES.

The study, the first national epidemiological survey of Asian
Americans, is part of a broader survey on mental health in the
newest issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

THE RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT IMMIGRANTS GENERALLY SUFFER A LOWER LEVEL
OF MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS THAN NATIVE BORN AMERICANS, A SUMMARY
SAID.

But Takeuchi, whose team interviewed nearly 2,100 Asian Americans,
said this group's difference was more marked.

"Compared to all Americans, Asian Americans had lower lifetime rates
of any disorder," he said in the summary.

He said that less than one-fourth of Asian immigrants will see any
mental disorder.

"However, that won't necessarily be the case for their children and
grandchildren. If trends continue, rates for them will go up and
that suggests that more investment is needed for prevention programs."

The study found no important differences in the pattern between the
main Asian immigrant groups in the United States: Chinese, Vietnamese
and Filipino.

HOWEVER, US-BORN ASIAN WOMEN ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE
DEPRESSION AS ASIAN IMMIGRANT WOMEN. AND US-BORN ASIAN MEN ARE MORE
LIKELY TO HAVE SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEMS THAN THEIR IMMIGRANT
COUNTERPARTS.

"Someone who is a voluntary immigrant doesn't typically suffer the
severe trauma that a refugee who is fleeing persecution or war
does," Takeuchi said.

But he also noted that more research needs to be done on how
discrimination might be associated with mental health among Asian
Americans.