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This July, SAPHA is recognizing National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. This observance is officially recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives to highlight the unique circumstances that contribute to worsened mental health in racial and ethnic minorities.
The percentage of U.S. adults with mental illnesses and substance use disorders has been increasing over time, substantially more so during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. While people of all backgrounds struggle with mental health, data shows that people of color disproportionately experience higher rates of drug overdose deaths and deaths by suicide. Many factors contribute to this, but underdiagnoses and lack of equitable access to mental health care continue to exacerbate disparities.
Data on South Asian American mental health is largely limited, as current findings on racial and ethnic minorities’ mental health are often aggregated under the larger Asian American umbrella. This inhibits the ability to study subgroup differences within and across South Asian American communities. Studies that have researched subgroup differences find that suicidal ideation, hopelessness, and depressive symptom rates vary across South Asian American ethnic groups.
SAPHA continues to advocate for increased awareness and access to equitable mental health care, disaggregation of data, and provision of tailored resources. In an effort to highlight disaggregated health outcome datasets, SAPHA’s Disaggregating Diversity initiative compiles nationwide resources showcasing South Asian American subgroup data on mental health and substance use metrics. SAPHA has also put together mental health facts and resources, along with a Mental Health Misinformation Toolkit, to improve awareness within our community. This July, and every month, we hope you and your loved ones recognize the importance of uplifting racial and ethnic minorities and supporting their well-being.
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🗣️ICYMI
Spotlight Series Season 2 Episode 2: Dr Sunanda Gaur
We recently released Episode 2 of the SAPHA Spotlight Series featuring Dr. Sunanda Gaur, Professor of Pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Founding Director of the South Asian Total Health Initiative (SATHI). You can catch her podcast on Youtube or Spotify to hear more about her remarkable career spanning the HIV and COVID-19 pandemics, the origins and impact of the South Asian Total Health Initiative, and her vision for advancing health equity and improving the health of South Asian communities across the United States.
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Congratulations to Muna Bashir, a member of SAPHA's Research Committee and a PhD Candidate in Global Health Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), on being selected as a recipient of the 2026 American Public Health Association (APHA) International Health Section Student Travel Scholarship.
The scholarship supports students who are actively engaged in global and international health and provides funding to attend the APHA Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, where recipients will be recognized by the APHA International Health Section during its 50th Anniversary Celebration.
Muna's doctoral research, Person-Centered Maternal Health Care for South Asian Women in the United States: A Multilevel Study of Barriers and Facilitators, examines the individual, community, and health system factors that influence maternal healthcare experiences among South Asian women. She looks forward to attending the APHA Annual Meeting to connect with researchers and public health professionals and continue advancing research focused on improving health equity within South Asian communities.
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SAPHA recently signed a letter from The Leadership Conference and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), urging Congress to hold the Department of Homeland Security accountable for recent shootings by ICE in Houston and Maine, less than a week apart.
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During August recess, Members of Congress spend more time in their districts and states attending town halls, meeting with constituents, and participating in community events. These moments provide a unique opportunity to elevate community priorities, build relationships with elected officials, and advocate for policies that advance reproductive justice, immigrant justice, and equitable access to healthcare.
To support those efforts, the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum created the NAPAWF August Recess Constituent Engagement Toolkit and a corresponding Social Media Toolkit with ready-to-use samples.
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Organization Highlight: MHISA
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The Mental Health Initiative for South Asians (MHISA) is a rapidly growing national nonprofit founded in 2021 by two UT Austin students Ravi Parekh and Aaron Pandian following the tragic loss of their roommate and his family members to a murder-suicide. MHISA is dedicated to improving mental health outcomes for South Asian Americans through research, education and culturally responsive resource development. MHISA works to address the unique cultural and systemic barriers that prevent many South Asians from accessing mental health care.
MHISA is organized using a university-based student-led chapter model which includes presence at UT Austin, UT Dallas, Stanford, and UC Berkeley with additional launches expected to occur at Harvard and the University of Connecticut. To date, MHISA has grown to over 200 student members across its chapters, boasts 9 IRB-approved research studies, served over 5000 community members through its direct education programs and has reached over 500,000 South Asians through its national Heal Forward campaign.
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You can learn more about MHISA through the website and by following them on Instagram.
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Surveys & Voluntary Study Participation
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Shame & Romantic and Sexual Relationships for Women
Tejasvini Mantripragada, MA, a PhD candidate in Counseling Psychology at Seton Hall University, is seeking eligible participants for her dissertation on the impacts of South Asian American women’s shame pertaining to their romantic and sexual relationships.
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Understanding Caregiving & Disabilities as a Journey
Melody Mann, MA, sociology doctoral candidate at the University of Maryland College Park, is seeking eligible participants for her dissertation centered around amplifying the voices of Punjabis across the South Asian diaspora for how they experience, navigate, and understand disability as a journey.
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Healthcare Access
& Developmental Disabilities
Sumithra Murthy, Principal Investigator, and The University of Illinois Chicago Disability Studies Department advisory board is conducting a study that will examine healthcare access in South Asian Americans with developmental disabilities.
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Body Image, Eating Disorders, & Stress
Tasnim Rahman, psychology doctoral candidate at the University of Alabama, is seeking eligible participants for her study focusing on body image, eating disorders, and acculturative stress among South Asian immigrant women living in the United States.See the flyer below for details on how to participate.
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Mental Health & First Generation, Immigrant Men
Joe Varughese, a doctoral candidate at Montclair State University, is seeking eligible participants for a research study to explore the mental health help-seeking experiences of first-generation Indian American immigrant men.
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Are you recruiting participants for a study or interested in having your recent publication featured in our newsletter? We’d love to help amplify your work.
To be considered, please email saphaboard@gmail.com with the following:
- Study recruitment: Submit flyers in .png format
- Publications: Include a link to the full publication
We look forward to supporting and sharing your research with our community.
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Grow Your Impact this June
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Empowering Our Community: Upcoming Fall 2026 Healthy Aging Webinar Series
This fall, we're launching a free webinar series focused on healthy aging, brain health, and caregiver support for South Asian communities. Your donation helps keep these educational programs accessible by funding expert speakers, language interpretation, educational materials, and community outreach.
Every donation helps bring culturally responsive brain health education and support to the families who need it most.
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