At 23, after navigating school and college in a nearly perpetual state of panic, Emily Chen was diagnosed with ADHD.VANESSA LEROY FOR STAT
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Behind a veneer of accomplishment, underneath good grades and musical talents, Emily Chen was in disarray. She never knew what she was missing, perpetually cycling through potential mistakes in her mind in a desperate attempt not to slip up.
“I was using anxiety to motivate and power myself. I’d use it as a way to remember things,” said Chen, who lives in Newton, Mass. “Do I have an assignment due now? Do I have to be somewhere now? I was using all my energy just to stay afloat.”
At the age of 23, after navigating school and college in a nearly perpetual state of panic, Chen was diagnosed with ADHD. At the time, she was the only Asian American she knew with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
In 2021, research showed that for every 100 white children diagnosed with ADHD, there are 83 Black and 77 Hispanic children, and just 48 Asian children, with the diagnosis.
Despite the disparity, researchers and mental health professionals describe a dearth of research and outreach in Asian American communities, or even conversation, aimed at narrowing this gap. The “model minority” stereotypes — that Asian American children are strong students and well-behaved — not only block these kids from getting an ADHD diagnosis, several said, but also seem to deter analysis of the inequity.
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