Question

Based on your Culture, describe its impact upon the treatment of mental illness. How does culture play a role in stigmatisms of someone seeking treatment for mental health?

Answer 1

• Since asian culture is something I am more familiar with therefore I can describe its effects. Mental illness especially in India is still considered a taboo. People still shy away from talking about it with each other. Going to a psychiatrist is still considered a stigma and that something is seriously wrong. And because of prejudiced viewd from people,individuals going through or not going through any mental suffering never approach a psychologist.
• In Asia, where many cultures value conformity to norms, emotional self-control,family recognition through achievement, mental illnesses are often stigmatized and seen as a source of shame.
• In rural India, it is quite common to see people taking their children to temples and faith-healers rather than hospitals and doctors; even more so in cases when the issue is related to mental health.
• People are not shunning topics related to mental health; conversations are now taking place more in the open. But it is an issue that is still trivialised.
• There continues to be a dearth of mental health practitioners in India. For every four lakh Indians, there is only one psychiatrist.
• The need for counselling and therapy is looked upon as a weakness by some people. It becomes difficult for a person with a history of mental illness to lead a normal life, socially and professionally.
• According to family traditional beliefs on indians,people still think that it can become difficult to find marriage proposals even for other members of the family if someone has mental illness.
• Culture relates to how people cope with everyday problems and more extreme types of adversity. Some Asian American groups, for example, tend not to dwell on upsetting thoughts, thinking that reticence or avoidance is better than outward expression.
• Racial and ethnic minorities in the United States are less likely than whites to seek mental health treatment, which largely accounts for their under-representation in most mental health services.
• Research indicates that some minority groups are more likely than whites to delay seeking treatment until symptoms are more severe. Further, racial and ethnic minorities are less inclined than whites to seek treatment from mental health specialists. Instead, studies indicate that minorities turn more often to primary care.. They also turn to informal sources of care such as clergy, traditional healers, and family and friends. They still have this thought of not sharing their problems openly since the society would judge them.