Seeing your child in emotional distress is an overwhelming fear for any parent. Layer on language barriers and cultural differences, and it becomes an even bigger block to knowing where and how to get the mental health supports your child and family need.
Unfortunately, this is the reality many Asian families face across Canada, says assistant professor of nursing Samantha Louie-Poon in their recently published research in the Canadian Journal of Nursing Research.
The work was motivated in part by the surge in anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic and rising rates of Asian children who struggle with their mental health.
"Do we have the resources to provide equitable care for patients who are racialized — understanding the complexities and nuances of their health concerns, understanding the cultural dynamic at the core, understanding the language barriers as well? It was important to me to address this through my research," they say.
Louie-Poon delved into anti-Asian racism and mental health in children for their PhD research, under the supervision of professorShannon Scott, now dean of the Faculty of Nursing.Their graduate studentship was supported by the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation through the Women and Children's Health Research Institute (WCHRI).
In a scoping review that looked at the gaps in literature in terms of racism and mental health of the East Asian population in Canada and the United States, they found only 35 articles from 1981 to 2021. Nearly half were published within the last five years as anti-Asian racism ballooned, only five were aimed at children, and just two examined the Canadian environment.
"That just really highlights the limits of evidence-based research in this general field of racism and mental health in the Asian context," says Louie-Poon. "That's how I went forward with my research, within the Canadian context and also the children's context."
Understanding through storytelling
Louie-Poon interviewed East Asian parents and asked what their experiences were like with the mental health system.
"Storytelling is a unique method in nursing; we don't often use it. I chose to use it because it was intentional and purposeful," they say. "As racialized folks, we often shoulder the burden of voicelessness — we can't speak about our own experiences and so we are not heard. I provided the space for parents to tell their stories."
Louie-Poon said their work adds a different lens and new knowledge to evidence-based literature in this area.
Translation services, availability of services, affordability and representation in the East Asian community are all critically important, their research shows. It also recommends that anti-racism solutions need to consider the standpoint of the evidence that's disseminated and create safer spaces to partner with East Asian communities to develop mental health knowledge translation resources for children.
Louie-Poon's path to anti-racism research was not defined by one event, but by the layering of experiences growing up in Edmonton, working as a registered nurse and being a patient.
After a postdoctoral fellowship looking into racism and pain care in Asian children with Dalhousie University and the Centre for Pediatric Pain Research at the IWK Health Centre, Louie-Poon joined the U of A as a tenure-track professor in late 2024.
"I hope this work can continue making a difference for families," they say. "That's the whole objective."
—with files from Gillian Rutherford
