Key takeaway
You need help, and you are tired of being treated as one kind of person from a whole continent. In 2022, 9.0 percent of Asian people age 12 or older had a past-year substance use disorder. A lower rate is not a reason to wait. Ask for care in the language you actually use.
Last updated: Mon Oct 05 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
You need help, and you are tired of being folded into one story about a continent. Your family is not that average, and a lower number is not a reason to wait.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988.
Your house is not the average
In 2022, 9.0 percent of Asian people age 12 or older had a substance use disorder in the past year. That was lower than the rate for most other racial or ethnic groups, and it was not zero. Filipino, Chinese, and Asian Indian households are not the same story. Roots run through more than 20 countries. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities are a different story again.
Almost every Asian adult who answered a later survey did it in English, so a house that needs another language is easy to miss. A low number can mean less disorder. It can also mean the interview never reached the person.
Shame in some families, not a script for yours
Stigma about mental health problems is common among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and shaming is a norm in some Asian communities. Many people who need help avoid it because of that shame. Culture can also make it easier to accept care. If your family talks openly, you do not have to explain that away. Needing help is not the same as being "in denial."
If both a mental health problem and substance use are present, say both when you ask for care that treats them together. Your ethnicity is not the diagnosis.
Ask for your language before you walk in
The hour with a clinician should happen in the language you use. Some Asian Americans speak only English. Some need an interpreter. Yours is the one that counts.
Ask for a bilingual clinician or a qualified interpreter. Refuse a child, or another relative, as the interpreter for clinical information. Ask who can see notes about family, immigration, or substance use. Read privacy and consent before you sign.
FindTreatment.gov can show a language a facility reported. Call and ask who will actually be in the room. The 'Ohana Center shares information and trains people who work with Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. For a counselor tonight, you still need a program.
SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP, refers people in English and Spanish. If you need another language, ask what interpretation they can arrange. Call or text (800) 653-9376 if you want help finding care and you need to ask, before you go, whether someone can speak with you in your language.
Additional Resources
Sources cited on this page:
- SAMHSA NSDUH data brief: Health disparities among the Asian population (2021-2023)
- SAMHSA: 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, national report
- SAMHSA blog: Destigmatizing mental health in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities
- SAMHSA: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander 'Ohana Center of Excellence
- HHS: National CLAS Standards
- SAMHSA National Helpline
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- SmarterRecovery about page (referral disclosure)
Common Questions
Does a lower survey rate mean Asian Americans do not need treatment?
No. In 2022, 9.0 percent of Asian people age 12 or older had a past-year substance use disorder. That was the low end of the range in that national survey, and it was lower than the percentages for most other racial or ethnic groups. A lower rate is not zero, and it is not a character trait. In the 2021 to 2023 brief, 99.9 percent of Asian adults who answered did so in English. People who need another language are easy to miss.
Why do Filipino, Chinese, and Asian Indian figures differ?
Adults of Filipino origin were more likely to have had either any mental illness or a substance use disorder in the past year (27.9 percent) than Chinese adults (20.4 percent) or Asian Indian adults (19.3 percent). That figure is either condition, not addiction alone. The Asian population in that brief has roots in more than 20 countries. Combining groups can misstate the smaller ones. 'Asian' there means people who identified as Asian only.
Is stigma the same in every Asian family?
No. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders include many cultures, histories, and languages. Stigma about mental health problems is common, and shaming is a norm in some Asian communities, which leads many people who need help to avoid it. Culture can also make it easier to talk. A family that talks openly does not have to apologize for that.
What is the AANHPI 'Ohana Center of Excellence?
It shares culturally informed behavioral health information, and it trains people who work with Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. For a counselor or a bed tonight, you still need a treatment program. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities are not the same as Asian American communities.
What should I ask a program about language?
Ask whether the clinical hour, not only the brochure, can happen in the language you use, with a bilingual clinician or a qualified interpreter. Do not accept a child or a relative as the interpreter for an admission or a medical visit. Ask who can see answers about immigration, family, or substance use.