Another Lens on Mental Health | an interview w/ Mrinal Gokhale on her book, Saaya Unveiled: South Asian Mental Health Spotlighted
/Mental health is not a new phenomenon. It has existed as long as humankind has. However, discussing it in the public arena has been taboo for many millennia, and only recently has it become a tenant for social activism [in spaces like academia and social media]. Within the discussion of mental health also lies webs of intersectionality, including ethnicity, gender, education, and socioeconomic status. So the normality of discussing mental health is still very dependent on cultural factors. Mental health issues are common, but is that a global perspective?
Mrinal Gokhale, is a journalist based in Milwaukee, WI, has written a book showcasing specific communities' mental health journey. Titled, Saaya Unveiled: South Asian Mental Health Spotlighted, the book shows the anecdotal perspective of individuals by discussing “Identity, culture, socialization, academia, love, loss, and trauma. . .[unveiling] a part of the shadow (saaya) of mental health in the South Asian diaspora”. Mrinal joined CopyWrite in discussing the book and how it can change the narrative of mental health in her community and beyond.
During the pandemic quarantine, Mrinal took a course on memoir writing where she learned about the art of self-publishing. Inspired by the course she decided she would take on the task of writing a book. After making a list of things she was interested in, she focussed on the mental health subject because of her interest in wellness, the psyche, and the human brain.
CW: “What kind of process did you go through to gather information for the book? How did you determine what things you would cover, who you would talk to and how you would collect that research?”
MG: “I honed in on the ideology of writing about South Asian mental health because when I was a reporter I had covered mental health awareness month-related events that had to do with the stigma concerning mental health in Black and Latinx communities. But I felt that discussions about awareness were lacking in South Asian communities.”
Being of South Asian descent with her parents being from India she felt that she could create a voice for a narrative in that space. She then reached out to several nonprofits that work in the realm of mental health extending the offer for anyone who would be interested in telling their story to reach out. She also offered the ability for individuals to change their names so that the story was not directly linked to them but the impact could be delivered all the same. After several submission calls, informal data collection on demographics, and consent forms signed, several participants were selected.
MG: “From there I just kind of talked to them. I interviewed them and took notes as if I was writing a journalism story and wrote it all from there.”
CW: “What kind of feedback did you receive going through the process with mental health being such a touchy subject?”
MG: “Out of the eleven stories that I wrote about half of them chose to use their real names. I noticed that each person that chose to use their real names had already told their story [before] on other media outlets or are working in the field of psychology or mental health. I noticed that they answered the tough questions a lot more easily than some of the others who wanted to remain anonymous. As I spoke to more people I started to learn the art of approaching a topic like that in a more sensitive manner.”
As a journalist sometimes you are looking for the hard-hitting facts of a story, which is different than discussing someone's human experience. Mrinal learning this new skill has everything to do with her experience as the interviewer and the purpose of her inquiry, meaning to be helpful to the community outside of just being informative.
Within Saaya Unveiled, Mrinal attempts to pull experiences from several sample members of the South Asian demographic. Initially, she planned to interview half females and half males for her sample population however she encountered that more women were willing to tell their stories than anyone else.
CW: “What do you think is the reason behind that gender discrepancy?”
MG: “My guess is that men are more likely to feel insecure talking about things like [this].”
When asked about her personal experience with mental health, especially as she claims an ongoing interest in the subject, Mrinal mentioned being fascinated with the subject since high school. However, she did not have any personal encounters with her own need for mental health care until college.
MG: “That’s another pattern that you will find in the book. Many participants did not seek mental health care until they were grown-ups. In addition to that, what I have observed within my family and the Indian friends and acquaintances that my family has, is that whatever happens in the house stays in the house. . .”
[Ohhhh, that sounds like a line we know all too well in the Black household]
MG: “I think the Indian community likes to gossip a lot. I think that is the reason that stops many families from seeking professional help for their kids and loved ones. They struggle with the idea of what will other people think or say.”
She also noticed that there are increasing stigmas depending on what type of mental illness someone may have. For example, being schizophrenic or being bipolar carries a heavier weight than anxiety or depression. This also seems like a common thread in other ethnicities where the degree of its mental impact carries the weight of being “crazy” versus just being a little down [which is not a healthy or productive way to look at it].
After researching to write the book Mrinal feels more informed about the variances of the South Asian experience with mental health outside her own. She pointed out that it showed how intersectionality plays a major role in mental health including, care, diagnosis, and support.
MG: “My book takes it a step further by illustrating the failure to see mental health as a spectrum that every human is on. In my research, I noticed that it was only when a person reached crisis mode was when a family was supportive of them seeking help. At the same time, I still encountered that some families expected the individual to self-correct even after a person's life was almost taken due to mental illness.”
After reading the book I had several questions of my own about the barriers to mental health care and stable support systems within certain communities, noting the commonalities between people of color, their cultural practice, religions, and holistic status in the education system. Mrinal agreed that in South Asian culture those connections were not isolated.
Without giving out spoilers I think the most interesting part about Saaya Unveiled is its ability to share how others feel about their perspectives on navigating mental health as a human experience. It was nuanced so that those outside the culture have just enough of a taste of “normality” to compare it to. But not enough to be invasive and criticize what is not for “US” to criticize. Like how do we discuss having mental health care providers who understand you culturally or understand non-western-oriented family structures or lifestyles? I think as communities we must note that we fall short in not understanding that our grievances are human grievances. Our struggles are human struggles. Our change starts with us being willing to have tough conversations, even about ourselves.
Mrinal has shared her book with her family and friends and it has blossomed into conversations that she did not anticipate, but surely welcomes.
MG: “It's almost like it's promoting intergenerational healing in a sense. It's teaching the older generations what the younger generation has to endure when it comes to their mental health.”
Mrinal hopes that audiences, especially of South Asian descent read the book and feel less alone in their journeys.
You can find Saaya Unveiled: South Asian Mental Health Spotlighted on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Saaya-Unveiled-Mental-Health-Spotlighted-ebook/dp/B092Y9132V
Happy Reading,
Lexi S. Brunson, Editor-in-Chief /CW
