Hirono, Chu introduce bills to address mental health in AANHPI communities

US Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and US Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) reintroduced a package of bills focused on mental health awareness for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities in observance of May as National Mental Health Awareness Month and AANHPI Heritage Month.

The package included a resolution recognizing May 10 as National AANHPI Mental Health Day, as well as the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act of 2025 to increase awareness and access to mental health care throughout the AANHPI community.

“Too many members of our communities face economic, cultural, and language barriers preventing them from accessing critical mental health care and these bills reaffirm our commitment to breaking down those barriers,” said Hirono. “Every person deserves access to culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health care, and I’m glad to partner with Rep. Chu as we work to invest in mental health resources, combat the stigma surrounding mental health, and ensure that every member of our communities can access the care they need and deserve.” 

“The AANHPI community is the least likely of any racial or ethnic group to seek out mental health services,” said Chu. “This disparity is largely driven by language barriers, taboos around shame, a lack of access to culturally competent care, and insufficient disaggregated data within research.”

As the only psychologist in Congress, Chu said she knows how important it is to break down these barriers, challenge harmful misconceptions about seeking help, and ensure every community can access the mental health care they need.

“Recognizing May 10th as National AANHPI Mental Health Day brings long-overdue attention to the unique challenges our communities face and helps break the silence and stigma that too often surround mental health. But awareness must be matched with action, which is why the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act would invest in culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach, education, and disaggregated data collection, so we can deliver care that truly reflects and serves the full diversity of the AANHPI community,” she said.

According to data collected by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), members of the AANHPI community have the lowest rates of mental health service utilization of any racial/ethnic group, with only 35% of Asian adults with a mental health problem receiving treatment in 2023.

In 2023, an estimated 65% of the AANHPI community, who met criteria for a mental health problem, did not receive necessary treatment. And, even though suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death in the United States, it is the leading cause of death for AANHPI youth ages 10 to 24, and they are the only racial or ethnic group in this age category whose leading cause of death is suicide.

In Hawaiʻi, the suicide rate is greater than national average and the rate of suicide for Native Hawaiians is nearly double the national rate.

The National AANHPI Mental Health Day resolution recognizes the importance of mental health to the well-being of AANHPI families and communities and acknowledges the importance of raising awareness around mental health care. It also encourages health agencies to adopt policies to improve utilization of mental health services for the AANHPI community, as well as other marginalized communities.

Hirono and Chu also reintroduced the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act of 2025, bicameral legislation to curb mental health stigma and help increase access to mental health care in AANHPI communities.

Specifically, the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act would instruct SAMHSA to:

• Establish a national outreach and education mental health and substance misuse strategy for the AANHPI community by partnering with advocacy and behavioral health organizations that have an established record of serving AANHPI communities; and
• Conduct research and collect disaggregated data on the state of behavioral health among AANHPI youth and on the shortage of AANHPIs in the behavioral health workforce.

The full text of the resolution is available here. The full text of the legislation is available here.