Celebrating South Asian Heritage Month

It is a pleasure for me to be writing this as we mark South Asian Heritage Month – an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the unique contribution people from the sub-continent have made to life in the UK.

As someone who came here nearly 16 years ago to practice medicine, it feels special to recognise the richness, colour and uniqueness of the South Asian[1] communities in the UK and give them a platform to tell their stories.

As a psychiatrist and as someone who is trained to look at how our mental and physical health is inextricably linked, it gives me a chance to talk about the unique aspects of working with the South Asian community in London – communities that are often caught between two cultures – that of their ancestral homeland and that of the UK.

Navigating cultures

I was born in India, so I have some experience of what it’s like to navigate two or more cultures. Although the South Asian community is very diverse and individual experiences may differ, they place a stronger emphasis on family networks and collective support structures, when compared to Western cultures, which place greater emphasis on personal growth and individuality.

We also know that South Asian communities are less aware of the support available to them and are less likely to access mental health support, compared with the general population. Whatever the reasons for this – be it a lack of suitable information for these communities or the challenge of stigma, they do need to be addressed. In my experience, I’ve seen South Asian people present to mental health services at a much later stage than they should have been.

In short, culture plays a huge role in our mental health, and as a psychiatrist, I like to explore how cultures interact and impact on an individual’s day-to-day lived experience. If we don’t look at an individual’s values and principles shaped by their culture when developing care plans for them, we risk the individual feeling ignored, unheard and detached.

Experiences from the LGBTQ community

South Asian cultures are rich and nourishing, however when an individual may be coming to terms with his / her/ their sexuality, we often see clashes between their identity and their culture – including with their family, community and spirituality. The result can often be lack of self-affirmation and poor esteem. I see this all too often with the LGBTQ patients I see.

I remember when I first came to this country, it felt like I don’t really belong as I couldn’t relate to the pub and drinking culture which seemed to be so prevalent, leaving me feel unsupported. How I craved for those ‘Chai and Samosa’ chats with my friends and family! So what worked for me, is to understand that cultural and spiritual differences need to be analysed when trying to understand where people have come from, to truly put into context feelings of shame and guilt, as well as the pride and celebration.

I am really glad that South Asian Heritage Month gives us a chance to recognise the beauty and richness of these communities, and to explore how we may better understand the intercultural lens, when celebrating the joy they bring.

[1] South Asia is formed of 8 countries, namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.