Attitudes toward counseling among Asian Indians in the United States

Research suggests that Asian Indian immigrants do not consider counseling as an option for problem resolution. This study examined attitudes toward counseling among 101 Asian Indians and predicted that Asian Indian immigrants would espouse negative attitudes toward counseling and thus dismiss counseling as a coping strategy, whereas second-generation immigrants would have more positive opinions. Perceived prestige, pride, and privacy were factors predicted to positively correlate with negative attitudes. Results from an attitude survey created by the authors suggest that Asian Indians reported more neutral or fairly positive attitudes toward counseling than were expected. Individuals who immigrated before 10 years of age responded with more positive attitudes to counseling than did those who immigrated at a later age.