Racism and the mental health of East Asian diasporas in North America: a scoping review

Abstract

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic heightened anti-Asian racism towards East Asian diasporas in North America. Experiences of racism encountered by East Asian communities have been documented to negatively impact their mental health.

Methods

A scoping review was undertaken following Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) methodology to (a) map the foci of literature on racism and the mental health of East Asian diasporas in North America and (b) identify gaps in the current literature.

Results

A total of 1309 articles were identified in May 2021. Based on the inclusion criteria, 35 records were included. Two distinct mental health foci were found: mental health outcomes and mental healthcare access and utilization. The majority (n = 22) of the articles focused on racism at the interpersonal level. Six articles provided anti-racism solutions at the individual level, such as overcoming biases. Five articles targeted anti-racism solutions from both the individual and institutional levels, while 1 article addressed barriers at the institutional level, such as dismantling sanctioned power hierarchies.

Conclusion

The expanding knowledge base on COVID-19-related racial discrimination is reminiscent of previous literature examining the history of anti-Asian racism in North America. Greater attention is needed to navigate impactful anti-racism solutions for East Asian populations’ mental health in North America.

Keywords:

• anti-Asian racism
• racial justice
• anti-racism
• mental health
• East Asian populations
• North America

Author contributions

SLP led and conceptualized the design of the study. SS and CH assisted with the design of the study. SLP led the article screening, data extraction, and data analysis with support from SS. SI contributed to data screening and extraction. TP conducted the literature search. SLP drafted the manuscript. All authors commented on all drafts of the manuscript and approved the final draft.

Disclosure statement

The authors reported no potential conflicts of interest.

Data availability statement

The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article [and/or] its supplementary materials.

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by Women and Children's Health Research Institute (WCHRI) under a Graduate Studentship award, Canada Research Chair Grant #231687, and Women and Children's Health Research Institute (WCHRI) Stollery Science Lab Distinguished Researcher Grant #2677.