Our Organization
Who are we?
We are a group of emerging South Asian youth from Calgary, Canada who appreciate the strengths and challenges faced by our community in embracing mental health and illness. Our individual backgrounds include medicine, counselling psychology, science, and engineering. Our experiences with mental health have guided our mission for the South Asian Youth Mental Health. Our mission is to spark conversation and ignite momentum towards more informed attitudes about mental health and illness. While recognizing the vast diversity within the South Asian community, we hope to highlight our shared experiences, and create a unified front in tackling the stigma against mental health and illness in Calgary.
Why is South Asian mental health important?
South Asians represent the largest visible minority in Canada, with close to 2 million people. Calgary is home to the 3rd largest population of South Asians in Canada, following Toronto and Vancouver. South Asians face unique challenges from cultural conflict, language barriers, social pressures and financial stress, which uniquely shape their experiences of addictions and substance use disorders, depression, and anxiety, and other mental illnesses. However, South Asians are a lot less likely to seek treatment for mental illness than Caucasians. Although our culture can perpetuate shame and stigma, it endows us with opportunities that foster resilience and strength. Youth are in a unique position to engage communities in meaningful conversations and normalize seeking treatment.
What we do?
South Asian Youth Mental Health Ambassadors – Youth can apply to attend a three-day leadership retreat to gain knowledge and skills in mental health advocacy. After the retreat, participants will create outreach projects to promote South Asian mental health, thus having a ripple wave effect for change and awareness.
Social Media and Online Engagement. We hope to use our website and social media account to debunk myths about mental illness, collaborate with other mental health organizations, and feature south asian mental health stories, and share local community resources. Finally, to engage with our community to learn what “South Asian Youth Mental Health” means to you?
Community Outreach. SAYMH Ambassadors organize outreach events to raise awareness about mental illness and additions in the community. The goal of the outreach projects is to streamline the process for accessing mental health support/treatment and promoting existing resources.