Dr. Ted Lo, one of Hong Fook’s founders, continues to work on the front lines at the association.Supplied
Ann (not her real name), a divorced mother of five, struggled with schizophrenia for over 10 years before any of her children knew about her serious mental illness.
In the bleak days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ann, an Asian Canadian, was discharged from hospital and dropped off at Hong Fook Mental Health Association, the agency in Toronto that had provided her with mental health support since 2009.
When Ann’s daughter Linda (not her real name) was called to collect her, it was the first time she learned of her mother’s illness. When Linda’s parents were divorced, her father was granted custody of the children and they rarely saw their mother.
During the pandemic, Linda called her mother regularly to check on her and ensure she felt supported and safe. With her daughter’s encouragement, Ann was more willing to receive treatment, and today she has a case manager at Hong Fook who helps her manage her symptoms and connects her to recovery programs.
Stigma around mental health among Asian Canadians is a major barrier to seeking help and even receiving informal support from families, says Andrew Chung, executive director of Hong Fook Mental Health Association, which serves Asian communities across the Greater Toronto Area.
“Compared to other groups, Asian Canadian communities report poorer self-rated mental health and more severe mental illness symptoms by the time of an ER visit or hospitalization,” says Mr. Chung.
“In many Asian cultures, which prioritize harmony, mental health is a taboo subject, resulting in many Asian Canadians internalizing their emotions and feeling fearful or ashamed to share their struggles – sometimes until it’s too late,” he adds.
Hong Fook uses strategies to introduce mental health topics in cultural context, such as through the wellness courses or leisure clubs in its recovery college, to help change attitudes and encourage open discussions about mental health and illness, says Mr. Chung.
The organization was founded in 1982 by two Chinese psychiatrists and a social worker when they observed Asian immigrants with mental illness were not receiving adequate care due to language and cultural barriers.
Today, with locations in Toronto and Markham, Hong Fook serves close to 4,000 clients a year through its programs and services.
“We want to ensure that no one in the community with mental health issues struggles alone,” says Mr. Chung.
“This giving season, when people are making decisions about charities and organizations to support, we hope they will consider Hong Fook so that we can provide more resources and create an environment where people can talk openly about mental illness and support one another,” he says.
Learn more: hongfook.ca
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