Presentation Information
[SY-107]Mental health and well-being of foreign nationals: Future prospects seen from a comparison of community activities in Japan and the United States
Takahiro Nemoto1,2, Eriko Fukui2, Phillip Yang3, Janice Yusze Tsoh3 (1.Department of Psychiatry and Implementation Science, Toho University Faculty of Medicine(Japan), 2.Department of Neuropsychiatry, Toho University Faculty of Medicine(Japan), 3.Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine(United States of America))
Keywords:
Social psychiatry,Transcultural psychiatry,Well-being,Mental health,Community
Globally, the number of international migrants has surpassed 300 million in 2024, intensifying stressors such as acculturation, social isolation, healthcare access barriers, and financial and legal hardships. These challenges heighten vulnerability and mental health needs. This symposium aims to discuss the evolving mental healthcare needs and community-based efforts to address these needs in Japan and the United States.
While Japan’s total population is expected to fall below 100 million in the future, the number of single elderly people and foreign residents is increasing, with foreign residents projected to exceed 10 million by 2050. The number of foreign residents reached a record high of 3.8 million at the end of 2024, with wages about 30% lower than those of Japanese people, and an estimated 60% unable to speak Japanese. Population-based data suggest many foreign residents suffer from economic difficulties and loneliness, increasing the need for mental care and support. Chinese, Vietnamese, Koreans, and Brazilians are among the largest immigrant groups in Japan, with one in five foreign residents living in Tokyo and its vicinity.
In the United States, immigrants have reached over 51 million, constituting 15% of the total U.S. population. One in four immigrants reside in California, where immigrants make up 27% of the state’s population, with Mexicans, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Asian Indians among the top immigrant groups. Asian Americans have been documented as one of the racial groups that utilize needed mental health care the least.
This symposium will introduce and discuss examples of the latest efforts in Japan and the United States in addressing the growing immigrant mental health needs and community-based efforts to provide support.
While Japan’s total population is expected to fall below 100 million in the future, the number of single elderly people and foreign residents is increasing, with foreign residents projected to exceed 10 million by 2050. The number of foreign residents reached a record high of 3.8 million at the end of 2024, with wages about 30% lower than those of Japanese people, and an estimated 60% unable to speak Japanese. Population-based data suggest many foreign residents suffer from economic difficulties and loneliness, increasing the need for mental care and support. Chinese, Vietnamese, Koreans, and Brazilians are among the largest immigrant groups in Japan, with one in five foreign residents living in Tokyo and its vicinity.
In the United States, immigrants have reached over 51 million, constituting 15% of the total U.S. population. One in four immigrants reside in California, where immigrants make up 27% of the state’s population, with Mexicans, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Asian Indians among the top immigrant groups. Asian Americans have been documented as one of the racial groups that utilize needed mental health care the least.
This symposium will introduce and discuss examples of the latest efforts in Japan and the United States in addressing the growing immigrant mental health needs and community-based efforts to provide support.