Publication date: Sep 15, 2025
Founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, Compassionate Home, Action Together (CHATogether) is a community program that uses interactive theater to promote mental health among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Culturally informed mental health programs remain insufficient to meet the needs of AAPIs. This study aimed to evaluate ongoing AAPI mental health needs after COVID-19, as described by community leaders who work with AAPI families in community settings and as mental health professionals; assess how CHATogether can meet the needs of community partners through theater webinars; and explore the adaptability of CHATogether for AAPI subpopulations. Mixed methods included thematic analysis, with an inductive approach, of 12 qualitative interviews with community leaders as well as a quantitative survey (16 webinars across 16 states) to evaluate participants’ emotional responses before and after the program and to evaluate program satisfaction. A subgroup analysis also measured the adaptation of CHATogether to AAPI faith-based organizations. AAPI mental health needs were identified at the individual, family, and service delivery levels, and CHATogether was perceived to address these needs. Webinar participants had more positive sentiments about mental health conversations with their families after versus before participation in the program (p
| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Home | Asian American |
| Pacific | Community-Based Program |
| Pandemic | Mixed-Methods Study |
| Theater | Theater-Based Intervention |
| Webinars |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 |
| disease | IDO | intervention |