Break the Silence 2019: Asian Mental Health Conference

Break the Silence is an Asian and Asian American mental health conference hosted by UChicago Taiwanese American Student Association, Active Minds: University of Chicago Chapter, PanAsia Solidarity Coalition at the University of Chicago, and UChicago South Asian Students Association.

Despite having a reported 17.3% overall lifetime rate of any psychiatric disorder, Asians and Asian Americans are about three times less likely to seek mental health services than Caucasians. Whether it be pressure to adhere to the “model minority” stereotype, family cultural values that stigmatize mental health, or even simply a lack of awareness of the resources and services available, the intersections between culture/identity and mental health remains an increasingly prevalent and pressing topic to discuss.

And now, we take action. Break the Silence is a two-day mental health conference, free to all UChicago students and community members who want to learn more about how aspects of Asian culture or identity affect the way we perceive our own mental health, and that of our peers. Recognizing that there are multiple forms of knowledge that are equally important, this conference seeks to share the work of academic and community members, facilitate important conversations and discussions, and promote ways to leverage the resources available to us for our mental and emotional well-beings.

Registration for the conference will open on March 17, 2019: uchicagobreakthesilence.com
Sign up to volunteer: https://goo.gl/forms/66d1ysUTXxytJQiH3

Contribute to the Lotus Collective: https://goo.gl/forms/8c7nJeFDPEfyQMl93
Tell your anonymous mental health story: https://goo.gl/forms/mjb5bXe1n6QRUg5R2


~SCHEDULE~

FRIDAY 4.12.19
5:00pm - Dinner & Registration
5:30pm - Unbroken Glass Screening
6:30pm - Workshop: Navigating Intergenerational Conversations on Mental Illness and Sensitive, Stigma-Related Topics (Center for Asian Health Equity: https://asianhealth.uchicago.edu/)


SATURDAY 4.13.19
9:00am - Breakfast & Registration
9:30am - Double Take: Graduate Student Story-Sharing Panel
10:30am - Keynote: Saving Our Own Lives - Asian American Student Mental Health (Mimi Khúc, PhD)
12:00pm - Lunch

12:45pm - Breakout Session #1
1) From Stress to Resilience: Promoting Mental Health of Asian International Students
2) Fired Up & Burnt Out: Keeping it Together in Uncertain Times
3) Generational Health Implications of Historical Trauma, Immigration, and Identity Formation for South Asians

2:30pm - Breakout Session #2
1) East Asian Toxic Masculinity in America: Developing a Theory of Change through Practice and Reflection
2) Stigmatization of Mental Health Diagnosis in Domestic Violence
3) Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

4:15pm - Reflection & Collective Art Project
4:45pm - Reception


This event was funded in part by the University of Chicago Student Government Finance Committee, UChicago College Dean's Fund, and sponsored by the The University of Chicago Center for Identity + Inclusion.