CHATogether Skit Development and Healing of Asian American Generation Z’s Unspoken Agonies: A Qualitative Study

Generation Z (Gen Z) has experienced unprecedented psychological challenges in recent history, and Asian American Gen Zers, in particular, bear a distinct mental health burden. This pilot study introduces Compassionate Home, Action Together (CHATogether)'s novel digital community program that promotes Asian American mental health through interactive theater and explores the impacts of theater skit development on Gen Zers' mental health and family relationships. Here, we guide participants to develop skits using these stages: 1) identifying topics and collaborators; 2) planning the scene; 3) improvisation; 4) writing; 5) community engagement. We then explore the impact of the skit production process on participants' emotional health through interviewing nine individuals and using thematic analysis of those anonymized transcripts. Results suggest that narrative writing, improvisation, and acting may hold a future for culturally adaptive and family-centered interventions for Asian American Gen Zers. A larger study scale is warranted for validity of potential clinical applications.