Cultural Mental Illness

THE IMPACT OF CULTURE ON MENTAL HEALTH AND HOW THIS CAN AFFECT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEN THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER AND THE CLIENT

Mental health illnesses affect everyone. It is highly prevalent affecting people of all ages, gender, cultures, and social groups. Attitudes towards mental health illnesses vary among individuals and often are highly influenced by the various cultures that the individuals identify with. Culture as a social concept can be defined as a set of norms, values, behaviours, and beliefs that are common and shared amongst a group of individuals (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999). Culture can be applicable to groups like Asians and Americans but also to groups of shared norms, beliefs, and values established within professions such as the culture of patients and practitioners. Culture provides these groups with structure and context to understanding their society and the world as a whole. Culture influence a wide range of aspects of mental health, including how mental health is perceived by the patient, how the patient will experience mental health stigma, and how they cope with symptoms of mental health illness. Additionally, these cultural influences impact the relationship between the patient and the practitioner in a number of ways.

Growing up, I spent summers visiting my family in Germany. There remains a hesitance to seek therapy due in part to the oppression during Nazi-rule. Information was not confidential and anyone that was deemed to have mental illness was at risk of being euthanized, sterilized, or used in experiments. I visited Russia for study abroad for one month. The culture there also has its differences, such as openly profiling. The reason that I am discussing these different cultures is because I believe that psychology is universal, being that there are so many different aspects to cultural behaviors. Even in Asia, the use of mindfulness is a part of Buddhism, which has slowly gained momentum in the Western philosophy of treatment.

Cultural bias can arise when “mental health assumptions, assessments, and interventions that were developed in one culture is implemented in a totally different one” (Pedersen & Marsella, 1982).

Mexican culture is encompassed very closely as a family. When a family member is ill the whole family comes together to care for the individual. The mother of the family traditionally makes healthcare decisions. Health risks commonly associated within the Mexican heritage are alcohol consumption, smoking, disinclined to practice seat belts or helmets and common safe sex condom practices (Purnell, p.295. 2009). Genetic health conditions connected to the Mexican culture pertain to lactase deficiency, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and hypertension (Purnell, p.294. 2009). Four accompanied Mexican cultural illnesses involve, “Empacho (blocked intestines), Mal de ojo (evil eye), Caida de mollera (fallen fontanel), and Susto (magical

Culture often has large differences in a society in terms of common interest, belief and sense of the real word. Definition of culture is the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time. The majority of world population, even some uncivilized, primitive villages in Africa, has owned culture that member of the society comply and give them guidelines for the way to live a life. In Ethan Watters’ text “The Mega-Marketing of Depression in Japan”, he talks about how different culture brought difference view about the same incident, depression, mental illness and its medication. He explains that Japanese culture has a different understanding and definition of depression and mental illness as compared with American culture. In Japanese culture, doctors distinguish depression and mental illness as very rare and crucial matters that makes patients going to the mental hospital for over a year. In contrast, in American culture, everyone can get instant medical services about depression and mental illness whenever people need it. As a member of a culture, an individual’s life is affected by the culture since that culture is what he is living in, which causes people of each culture have their way to handle a matter. Unfortunately, when it comes to an opportunity about seeking profit, people or organizations who have power, like pharmaceutical companies, will try to bring a method that globalizes culture differences to

After reading Crazy like Us, I believe that Mental illness is universal / globalized level. The case studies we read shows that there will be different symptoms depending on the culture to describe a disease. Some of the pros to this is being able to improve the overall definition that used to describe a disease. We can use more than just the American studies to describe anoxia, and find a way to help patients who suffer from it in different places around the world. One of the cons to making an overall definition of a mental disease will not apply to how someone functions. An example of this is the diagnosing of depression in japan and how they perceive depression is different from an American who thinks on more of an individualist and reflective

There are some differences in symptom and presentation across cultures. Each culture has its own perspectives and values of the health care system. The understanding of symptoms and presentation within the culture may affect the diagnosis and treatment of a patient potentially in a fail way. For instance, Delusions and Hallucinations are symptoms of schizophrenia in general. However, some cultures seeing these symptoms as a sign of insane. As a result of theses different understanding of symptoms and presentation of other cultures, seeking treatment may absolutely be impossible. Speaking from Lia's case . Lia's parents had a completely different understanding of epilepsy than the American doctor had. Hmong culture sees epilepsy as a soul losing,

The text “Schizophrenia, Culture, and Subjectivity,” edited by Janis Hunter Jenkins and Robert John Barrett is a collection of cross-cultural studies initiated by the World Health Organization with an initiative to explore and analyze the varying dilemmas concerning mental health. The text explores mental illnesses and clinical problems surrounding them, especially schizophrenia. It aims to make note of how schizophrenia treatment varies as influenced by culture. It aids mental health professionals when it comes to cultural and subjective experiences concerning schizophrenia. The text mainly focuses on mental health studies, especially concerning schizophrenia, with contributions from anthropologists, as well as psychiatrists,

Culture has a great effect on attitudes toward therapy. According to the National Institution of Mental Health each individual or groups of people bring a variation of beliefs to the therapeutic setting such as communicating what issues to report, types of coping styles, social support, and cultural stigma towards mental health. More often it is culture that bears on whether or not an individual will seek help. For example there is a widespread tendency to stigmatize mental illness in Asian countries. People with mental illness are considered dangerous and create social distance and

This was a limitation as discussed in the article because it does not aim to generalize findings, instead, it was aimed to understand professional, cultural, and personal values in regards to mental health education. Three students in the experiment were British-born and the other three had just recently immigrated to Britain. The participants were to takes photos of their friends and family members instead of the general public. After taking the photos, they came as a group to discuss their photos. They had to take in consideration of all aspect of their culture while in the process of the discussion. These aspects included but are not limited to culture, traditions, beliefs, values, and their education system. They were to discuss their differences and as well as their

“So although there was a psychiatric term for depression in Japan, utsubyo, what it described was a mental illness that was as chronic and devastating as schizophrema” (516). In the Japanese view, utsubyo is dangerous which would make people lose confidence to hold their job or have a normal behavior. The meaning of utsubyo is easily transferred the Japanese conception that how their culture shapes the illness experience. However, in American’s view, the Japanese have the wrong interpretation of depression but they find out that in Japan, the small percentage of doctors would prescribe the drug to the patients and also to the small percentage of patients would be interested in taking it. As Watters’ observes, “for the small percentage of the population diagnosed with a debilitating mental illness, long hospital stay were the norm,. The average stay in a mental hospital in Japan was over a year, versus just ten days in the United States” (516). Because of the different cultural cognizes, Japanese and American have different solution to deal with the mental illness. On the other hand, talk therapy is nonexistent in the Japan but normally in America. In the West, the definition of depression tends to sadness. However, the Japanese see the depression as mental pressure of their job and personal relationships. Due to this, the different cultural communities also have different attribution

Cultural norms were created centuries ago and until this day, these norms are deeply rooted into cultures. While the world has become a mixing pot, cultures all around the world still differ due to traditions. Watters shows the differing definitions of depression by stating “a Nigerian man might experience a culturally distinct form of depression by describing a peppery feeling in his head,” in contrast to “A rural Chinese farmer might speak only of shoulder or stomach aches” (517). This example also shows how cultural distinctions are prevalent, not only between Eastern and Western civilizations, but also between two Eastern civilizations. Watters further states that the “culturally distinct symptoms often

20). The problem with this phrase is that, while it attempts to provide exemption to symptoms resulting from stressful situations, it is ambiguous. It is very difficult to define what the words “expectable” or “culturally approved” truly mean. An expectable response may differ greatly between individuals. For example, one person may believe that it’s normal to cry over the death of a family member for a few days, while another person may think that crying every day for months is an average response. When talking about a response being culturally approved, we must first determine what is meant by culture in the United States. Our country is very diverse, featuring people of different ethnicities, socio-economic statuses, religions, and more. What is considered acceptable in one group may be unacceptable in another. Under these conditions, it is nearly impossible to comprehend which culture the DSM-5 is referring too. Overall, the DSM-5 definition of a mental disorder is comprehensive, as it covers factors contributing to mental function, severity guidelines, and exceptions for social deviance, but could be precise in its explanation of cultural

China Mills in her book “Decolonizing Mental Health,” discusses this problem of signification with diagnosing Depression in South India she states that “A director of an NGO in Southern India explained to me that in an attempt to make their practice “culturally sensitive”, the psychiatrists and health workers don’t usually use