Beauty queen’s mental health journey sheds light during Mental Health Awareness Month
Asianna Saragosa-Torres won the title of Miss Latina Hawaii in 2024. But
By Cynthia Yip
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HONOLULU (KITV) — This is Mental Health Awareness Month. In light of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageant winners suddenly resigning citing mental health related issues, Island News talks a local Beauty Queen about her struggles and triumphs over mental wellness.
Asianna Saragosa-Torres won the title of Miss Latina Hawaii in 2024. But, when the 23-year old from Ewa Beach was growing up, she struggled with mental health and even suicide.
Saragosa-Torres says, “when I was 15, I actually attempted to ends my life, but I survived. I went through massive bullying and also suffered from extreme depression. Just being able to push myself forward during the dark time and using my pain as a way to not say that you know, I am a victim but rather I am a fighter. I am a survivor.”
On Good Morning America, the moms of former Miss USA and Miss Teen USA speaking after their daughters both suddenly resigned shaking the pageantry world.
Barbara Srivastava is the mother of former Miss Teen USA. Umasofia Srivastava says, “we could not continue this charade. The girls decided to step down, give their dream of a lifetime, a crown, a national title Why would two girls decide to give that up?”
The beauty queens allege an ugly work environment that turned toxic, but they are bound by contracts which include confidentiality clauses preventing them from speaking out.
Haylin Dennison, John A. Burns School of Medicine or JABSOM Counselor and the founder of Spill The Tea Café Mental Health Clinic for teens says, “suicide is the leading cause of death for people 15 to 24, specifically, like native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders in the state, and also other marginalized people are placed higher risk for suicide. The younger generations are really impacted by their mental health but also they have that awareness and so they’re really engaged in mental health from social media or even from the internet. Compared to previous generations, they are really able to prioritize the mental health and they’re no longer willing to compromise like things that their work or even like with Miss USA, they’re really pushing back and they’re saying we are going to prioritize our mental health above anything else, even if that means costing a title or costing a job.”
Saragosa-Torres now advises other young people who are struggling with their mental health to reach out to NAMI or National Alliance on Mental Illness Hawaii. Her advice to anyone struggling with mental wellness. “You can do so many things in this world despite what others may have told you. And overall we do recover and we are warriors fighters.”
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