The Effects of Suppression On Depression: Differentiating Mental Wellness Amongst Three Generations of Chinese Americans

Abstract

The present paper is concerned with the lack of classification when it comes to mental wellness of Asian Americans. To counter the problem, this paper specifically looks at Chinese Americans by stratifying them into three generations. Previous literatures suggest a linearly beneficial effect of assimilation on psychological well-being, yet literatures focusing on each generation of Chinese Americans appear to single out second generation as the group with the most struggles. In face of the contradiction, this paper aims to examine three effects. First, it explores whether assimilation renders Chinese Americans more likely to open up to different support groups. Second, it explores whether assimilation results in the betterment of mental health. Lastly, it explores what happens when generation, support groups, and mental wellness triangulate. This study yields several findings. First, the relationship between assimilation and the likelihood of opening up is positive, meaning that third generation Chinese Americans are more likely to open up about their problems. Second, assimilation is not unilaterally beneficial. As it turns out, second generation is more likely to undergo depressive symptoms than first generation. Factors such as model minority stereotype and marginalization by two cultures might have attributed to the struggle. Lastly, this study finds that while friends and psychiatrists buffer the likelihood of mental illnesses, family and spouse generally exacerbate. Explanations and policy recommendations are discussed at the end of this study.