Surgo Health’s Youth Mental Health Tracker finds gaps in mental health diagnosis, emotional confidence, and culturally competent care among AANHPI youth.

WASHINGTON, WA, UNITED STATES, December 4, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new report from Surgo Health uncovers a troubling and often overlooked reality: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) youth are facing significant mental health challenges that remain largely invisible in national data and discourse.

While nearly 80% of AANHPI youth report feeling happy and satisfied with life, findings from Surgo Health’s Youth Mental Health Tracker (YMHT) reveal a more complex story beneath the surface. AANHPI youth are 33% less likely to have been diagnosed with a mental health condition than their non-AANHPI peers, despite experiencing similar rates of depression and anxiety. Many describe growing up in a “culture of silence,” where emotional struggles are minimized or left unspoken.

Key Findings
Lower Emotional Confidence and Resilience: The report identifies meaningful gaps in emotional wellbeing. Only 63% of AANHPI youth say they recover quickly from setbacks (vs. 73% of peers), and 77% feel optimistic about their futures (vs. 83%).

A Paradox of Strength and Silence: Although AANHPI youth benefit from strong protective factors, such as lower exposure to violence and high levels of family acceptance, emotional needs often go unmet.
- 83% feel accepted by family, but only 67% say their emotional needs are met (vs. 75% of non-AANHPI youth).
- They are also less likely to confide in family (76% vs. 87%) or friends (78% vs. 88%) about mental health concerns.

Underdiagnosis Meets Underreporting: Despite lower diagnosis rates, AANHPI youth are 1.3 times more likely than other minority youth to say their mental health struggles impact daily life. Many report low resilience, challenges finding culturally competent providers, and fears that professionals will not understand their identities or experiences.

Compounding Burdens: AANHPI youth experience stressors at higher rates than their peers:
- They are twice as likely to face discrimination for being from a different country.
- They show heightened concern about global issues, including climate change (75% vs. 61%), racial injustice (79% vs. 63%), and global conflict.

Young People’s Message: Connection First
Across the study, AANHPI youth emphasized that meaningful emotional connection, not just clinical care, is central to their wellbeing. They want open communication with parents and caregivers, stronger mental-health awareness in schools, culturally responsive resources, and a workforce that reflects their identities. As one participant shared, “Validation goes such a long way… Just knowing someone is there makes all the difference.”

A Critical Moment for Policymakers
As federal agencies and local leaders shape their 2026 priorities, Surgo Health calls for urgent action to ensure AANHPI youth, long overlooked in mental-health policymaking, are fully recognized in future investments and programs.

“This report reveals a clear gap between how AANHPI youth show up in national data and what they’re actually experiencing,” said Sema Sgaier, CEO and Co-Founder of Surgo Health. “When similar levels of anxiety and depression go largely undiagnosed, the system is failing them. We must do better, and the evidence shows how.”

About Surgo Health
Surgo Health is a Public Benefit Corporation building the world’s most comprehensive and insightful AI-powered data platform that reveals the why behind people’s behaviors. We uncover the unseen drivers of health—people’s beliefs, barriers, and behaviors—and transform that intelligence into scalable products that enable healthcare organizations to drive impact, reduce costs, and advance equity. From improving clinical trial design to optimizing care delivery and public health strategies, our solutions help decision-makers act on what truly shapes health outcomes. By revealing the human side of healthcare, we’re making it more personal, precise, and effective—for everyone.

The Youth Mental Health Tracker (YMHT) created by Surgo Health, with support from Pivotal and SHOWTIME/MTVE Entertainment Studios, uncovers the complexities of youth mental health and wellbeing, providing actionable insights that equip communities, policymakers, and healthcare providers to foster environments where young people can truly thrive.

About SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios
SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios produces 120+ series annually, including some of today’s biggest hits such as Yellowstone, Emily in Paris, 1923, 1883, George and Tammy, South Park, Tulsa King, The Daily Show, RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Challenge and Jersey Shore, to name a few, as well as award-winning documentaries through its acclaimed MTV Documentary Films. MTV Entertainment uses its reach for social impact, spearheading broad change-driven coalitions, content and campaigns on mental health and civic engagement.

Media Contact
Cathryn Meurn
Surgo Health
[email protected]

Cathryn Meurn
Surgo Health
+1 301-448-9234
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.

Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. Frankly and this Site make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you are affiliated with this page and would like it removed please contact [email protected]